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....