BRIEF ON IRAN
No. 593
Thursday, February 13, 1997	

Representative Office of
The National Council of Resistance of Iran
Washington, DC


The World Outraged by Prize Hike to Kill Rushdie February 12

TEHRAN, Reuters - An Iranian foundation has raised the reward for the
killing of British author Salman Rushdie to $2.5 million....
	The daily Jomhuri Eslami quoted the charity's head, Ayatollah Hassan Sanei,
as saying that the reward had been increased to $2.5 million from the
original $2 million.
	"The prize for executing Salman Rushdie is not limited to Moslems. Anybody
-- Moslem or non-Moslem and even his (Rushdie's) bodyguards -- who carries
it out will receive the prize," said Sanei, who is the personal
representative at the foundation of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei.

LONDON, United Press International -	The Foreign Office released a statement
saying Britain did not accept that the Iranian government was not linked to
an Iranian foundation that has offered a bounty on the writer's life.
	Britain's Guardian newspaper says security has been stepped up for Rushdie
as his defense panel met in London to demand a halt to the European Union's
"critical dialogue" with Iran.

LONDON, Associated Press - Iran is stalling, said Frances D'Souza, head of
the International Rushdie Defence Committee, and it is hoping Europeans will
lose interest in Rushdie as they build more business ties with oil-rich
Iranians.
	"They are turning a blind eye because it would interfere with commercial
relations," D'Souza said at a news conference....
	"We believe that five years is a sufficient period to demonstrate the
willingness, sincerity and good faith..." D'Souza's group said.

LONDON, Agence France Presse - An increase in Iran's bounty on the head of
British author Salman Rushdie is "obscene"... a Rushdie support committee
said here  Wednesday....
	Frances D'Souza... said Khordad-15 was a "state-registered foundation" and
"another arm of government."...
	"The only truth about Iran is that it is a terrorist state," she said....
	Rafsanjani made clear Wednesday that the death sentence was as valid  as
ever, saying it was "a divine decree and all Moslems are duty-bound  to seek
to execute it."

BONN, Agence France Presse - Opposition Social Democrat deputy parliamentary
leader Guenter Verheugen told AFP the move was a "heavy blow" to human
rights standards and could not be accepted....
	The call showed that Iran was still "far away" from the rule of law and
security, he [Ruprecht Polenz, a deputy of Chancellor Helmut Kohl's
Christian Democrat party] said.
	German Booksellers' Association leader Gerhard Kurtze said the development
had left Iran "wholly without credibility." He told AFP the association was
calling on all authors, publishers and booksellers to  cease cooperation
with Iranian interests.

PARIS, Iran Zamin News Agency - The National Council of Resistance of Iran
in a statement strongly condemned this terrorist measure and said: "The NCR
President Massoud Rajavi has repeatedly announced that the anti-Islamic and
inhuman fatwa for the murder of Salman Rushdie is contrary to the message of
compassion, freedom, and tolerance of the great religion of Islam. The
mullahs ruling Iran are the worst enemies of the Prophet and Muslims the
world over. "


Russia Warned on Helping Iran Missile Program, Los Angeles Times, February 12

	WASHINGTON - The Clinton administration has issued a diplomatic warning to
Moscow about Russian assistance to Iran's missile program--aid that could
threaten U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, several Persian Gulf allies and
Israel, senior administration officials say.
	Intelligence reports indicate that Russia recently transferred to Iran
technology for the Russian SS-4 missile...
	The warning was issued during talks last week between Vice President Al
Gore and visiting Russian Prime Minister Viktor S.Chernomyrdin.
	The transfer basically involved detailed instructions on how to construct
the weapon's delivery system, U.S. sources said...
	The SS-4, with a range of 1,250 miles, carries a standard warhead that is
equivalent to 3,000 pounds of TNT...
	Iran's acquisition of the SS-4 is being interpreted as a new indication
that Tehran is actively seeking a nuclear capability... according to
administration sources and regional experts....
	The SS-4 has a greater range than the missiles in any Mideast country,
military experts said....
	Iran has also built up a major capacity to threaten traffic through the
Persian Gulf, senior administration sources said....


Iran to Give Military Help to Sudan, Reuters, February 12

	TEHRAN - Rafsanjani said on Wednesday Iran was reviewing a Sudanese request
for military....
	"If one day we do help Sudan, nobody should complain because it is natural
for two friendly countries to cooperate...We could sell them some things on
a cash or a loan basis," he said....
	Iranian media have accused the United States and Israel of conspiring to
bring down the Khartoum government. Washington accuses both Tehran and
Khartoum of sponsoring terrorism, a charge denied by the two countries....