BRIEF ON IRAN Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran No. 541 Monday, November 18, 1996 3421 M Street NW #1032, Washington, DC 20007 British Minister Slams Iran on Arms, "Terrorism", Reuters, November 17 Britain's Defense Secretary Michael Portillo on Sunday condemned Iran for allegedly backing terrorism and possessing weapons of mass destruction. Michael Portillo, on a visit to the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, criticized Iran for "possessing weapons of mass destruction, supporting terrorism and seeking nuclear arms," the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.... Portillo was speaking to a news conference in Qatar's capital Doha after signing a $825 million deal to supply the country with armored personnel carriers, patrol boats, missiles amd Hawk trainer aircraft.... Iran Receives Russian Sub, Holds Military Maneuvers in Gulf, The Associated Press, November 16 Iran has taken delivery of its third Russian-built submarine and it will arrive in Iranian waters later this month during one of the country's biggest military maneuvers, the navy chief said Saturday. Some 10,000 servicemen will take part in the week-long maneuvers due to start Thursday, Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani said. The last of Iran's three Kilo-class submarines will arrive on Nov. 25, he told reporters in Tehran. Some 100 vessels and 40 aircraft will take part in the war games, including units of the army, air force, navy and paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Shamkhani said.... German Court Similar To Rushdie, Must Be Taught A Lesson, Iran Deputy, Agence France Presse, November 16 A hardline deputy [of Iran's majlis] compared German Federal Court with [British author] Salman Rushdie. On Saturday, the daily Resalat quoted Morteza Nahvi as saying that the German Federal Court "is similar to Salman Rushdie and must be taught not to insult sacred values of Islam and Muslims.... Overview Prosecutors Demand Life in Kurdish Killings Trial, Europe's "Critical Dialogue" Potentially at Risk, Resistance Calls for Comprehensive Sanctions Reuters, November 15—German prosecutors demanded life sentences on Friday for the two main defendants on trial for the murder of four Kurdish dissidents which justice authorities said was ordered by Iran. Federal prosecutor Bruno Jost said Iranian Kazem Darabi, 37, and Abbas Rhayel, 29, from Lebanon should be found guilty on four counts of murder and one of attempted murder. He described the assassinations as "cold and cynical."... "There is not the slightest doubt that the attack was decided, planned and prepared by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its leaders," Jost told the court.... Jost said the trial had succeeded in "opening the door a bit to the headquarters of Iranian state terrorism and casting a look at the killing machine."... In his summing up at the end of a three- year trial, Jost repeatedly accused Tehran of ordering the murders.... The prosecution told the court earlier this week that an Iranian special state committee, which allegedly included supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, had ordered the assassinations.... The murder of the General Secretary of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Iran (PDKI) Sadegh Charafkandi, and three of his escorts, was a reprehensible act, Jost said. The victims were defenseless against an accurate hail of fire. "It doesn't get any more treacherous than this," Jost said.... Reuters, November 17—Iran's relations with its main trade partner Germany plunged on Sunday.... Potentially at risk are trade ties worth $1.4 billion last year and Europe's "critical dialogue" with Iran -- championed by German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel as an alternative to U.S. sanctions aimed at isolating the Islamic republic.... NCR, November 16—The Federal Prosecutor of Germany finished his summation yesterday at the Court of Berlin. The NCR President Massoud Rajavi lauded the Federal Prosecutor's independence of action and opinion. He once again called on the government of Germany and the European Union to put an end to the policy of critical dialogue and impose a comprehensive embargo on the religious, terrorist dictatorship ruling Iran.... Simultaneous with the summation on Thursday, Mr. Rajavi demanded that the warrant for the arrest of Fallahian be made an international warrant. He expressed hope that the German Judiciary would also issue warrants for the arrest of Khamenei and his accomplices, particularly Rafsanjani and Velayati. The Iranian Resistance believes that justice demands the convening of an international tribunal to try the leaders of the mullahs' religious, terrorist dictatorship, this godfather of international terrorism, for their crimes against humanity.