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."