BRIEF ON IRAN	 
	Representative Office of 
	The National Council of Resistance of Iran
	No. 530	
	Wednesday, October 31, 1996 
 
 
3421 M Street NW #1032, Washington, DC 20007


Iran's Military Deals With China, Reuters, October 30  
 
	A senior U.S. official departed on Wednesday 
for talks in Beijing on China's arms sales to Iran and 
Pakistan, paving the way for Secretary of State Warren 
Christopher's first visit there in two years. 
	The trip by Undersecretary of State Lynn 
Davis, to be followed by Christopher on November 18-
20, is part of a U.S. effort to build a less contentious 
relationship with China.... 
	Davis will renew concerns over Chinese sales 
of conventional arms to Iran, branded by Washington a 
terrorism-sponsoring state. Transfers of cruise missiles 
to Iran have been going on for six months or more, 
officials say. 
	U.S. officials are investigating reports 
Indonesia and China are close to a deal to sell Iran five 
French helicopters that are believed will be armed with 
air-launched missiles.... 
 
 
Iran Top Mullah Rejects Talking With U.S., Reuters, 
October 30 
 
	Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 
on Wednesday rejected suggestions that talks could be 
held with Washington, saying it was only a tactic by the 
United States to undermine opposing states.... 
 
 
Rafsanjani Acknowledges Censorship in Iran, Iran 
Zamin News Agency, October 30 
 
	Rafsanjani disclosed that government's 
censorship of books in Iran has resulted in writers' fear 
and refraining from seeking novelty. Also, during the 
opening ceremonies of the Book Week where Rafsanjani 
spoke, the cultural deputy of mullahs' Guidance 
Ministry reiterated the dismal situation surrounding 
publication of books in Iran. 
	In an effort to rationalize severe censorship in 
the past years, which entirely took place under his 
orders, Rafsanjani said: "Every country has certain red 
lines and its own special issues. In our case, due to 
certain reasons, there exists a [governmental] 
inspection." 
	 According to disclosures made by the 
government's highest officials, the situation of the press 
and books in Iran is even far behind countries like 
Afghanistan. Publications in Afghanistan are superior, 
both in quantity and variety of subjects, to those under 
the rule of mullahs in Iran.

 
Medical Situation Under Mullahs, Iran Zamin News 
Agency, October 30 
 
	The town of Qaraveh, in the Iranian province 
of Kurdestan, is faced with severe shortage of medical 
treatment and equipment. 
	In a protest letter to the Ministry of Health, the 
residents of Qaraveh said that shortage of physicians, 
hospital beds, medical supplies, blankets, bed-sheets, 
pillows, patients' clothing, and chairs has created a 
great deal of problems for the citizens. The unhygienic 
condition of patients' clothing in hospitals is so severe 
that in most cases cause contraction of diseases. 
 
 
Foreign Currency, Radio Israel, October 29 
 
	In his interview yesterday, the governor of the 
central bank spoke of an increase in the foreign 
currency reserves of Iran. However, the daily Salaam 
quoted an economic affairs specialist as questioning the 
governor's assertion by asking: "If the foreign currency 
reserves are going up, why the exchange rate for rial 
continues to go down?" 
 
 
Despite Stepped Up Repression, Students' Activities 
Supporting Resistance Could Not Be Contained, Iran 
Zamin News Agency, October 29 
 
	The Mojahedin's Command Headquarters 
inside Iran reported that one month after the beginning 
of the new academic year, the Resistance forces and 
units undertook activities in dozens of cities across Iran. 
These activities were enthusiastically welcomed by high 
school and university students and included 
demonstrations and extensive distribution of the 
messages and speeches of brochures, leaflets and video 
and audio tapes... 
	The report indicated that "with the beginning 
of the new academic year, the regime greatly feared 
student protests and the activities of the resistance 
forces", and "daily waves of arrest" of the young were 
launched in order to create an atmosphere of fear and 
terror in the country. The statement added that "the 
activities of the Resistance forces, however, showed that 
the mullahs' regime cannot prevent the nationwide 
activities of the Resistance forces by added repression."