BRIEF ON IRAN	 
No. 601	
Wednesday, February 26, 1997 
 
Representative Office of 
The National Council of Resistance of Iran	
Washington, DC  
 
 

Albright Says Iran Poses Nuclear Threat, The 
Washington Times, February 24 
 
	Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright 
has launched a new diplomatic offensive intended 
to draw world attention to the dangers of Iran's 
nuclear program.  
	The initiative, an important if discreet 
part of Mrs. Albright's trip to Europe last week, 
comes amid reports that Teheran's military chiefs 
are intensifying their drive to acquire nuclear 
technology.... 
	Mrs. Albright is also eager to persuade 
Moscow to stop supplying Iran with nuclear 
technology.... 
	Washington's new anti-Iran initiative 
follows the collation of a series of intelligence 
reports suggesting Teheran's nuclear research is 
starting to produce disturbing results. 
	According to documents received by the 
Sunday Telegraph, Austrian nuclear experts 
worked for more than a year assembling a 
cyclotron for processing uranium at the Karaj 
nuclear research center. 
	The equipment was acquired in a secret 
deal —presented as the purchase of medical 
equipment— in violation of EU trade sanctions 
against Teheran, which are particularly tough on 
military technology.  
 
 
Iran Nuclear Plant Near Completion, The 
Associated Press, February 25 
 
	A newspaper reported Tuesday that a 
nuclear plant soon will be connected to Iran's 
electricity grid, the first indication that the 
controversial facility is near completion.... 
	The Bushehr plant is being completed 
mostly with Russian equipment and engineers in a 
$1 billion deal with Moscow that the U.S. strongly 
opposes, fearing Iran could use the technology to 
build nuclear weapons.  
	Iran has not said when the facility will be 
finished.... 
	U.S. and Israeli officials have said Iran 
could have nuclear weapons in less than a decade, 
but Iran says it is not interested in acquiring them.  
 
 
Iran's Role in Arafat Assassination, AL-Hayat 
Weekly, February 22 
 
	Al-Hayat has learned that the Palestinian 
Security System arrested three Palestinian citizens 
who were among the people gathered to listen to 
Arafat's speech in the largest circle in Hebron.... 
	The leaked information confirm that the 
Palestinian opposition is not related to the 
assassination plot; however, the initial 
investigations point to Iran's role in the incident.... 
 
 
Americans in Saudi Warned against Fresh 
Attacks, Reuters, February 25 
 
	The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia on 
Tuesday warned Americans in the kingdom to 
raise their guard against further attacks following 
fresh threats by a leading Islamist dissident.... 
	The upcoming month of 
pilgrimage...placed a heavy burden on the entire 
Saudi government, but most particularly the 
security forces, the embassy added.... 
	One security concern in recent years has 
been attempts by Iranian pilgrims to hold rallies 
against the United States and Israel during haj.... 
	Iran on Monday vowed its pilgrims would 
defy a Saudi ban and hold the political rally 
denouncing the United States and Israel as 
enemies of Islam.... 
 
 
N.J. Woman Sues Iran for Death, The Associated 
Press, February 25 
 
	The family of a New Jersey woman killed 
in a Middle East bus bombing wants $150 million 
from the Iranian government and its leadership, 
alleging they are to blame for the death. 
	The lawsuit to be filed Wednesday by 
Alisa Flatow's family said Iran backed the suicide 
bomber who struck an Israeli bus traveling 
through the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip in April 
1995.... 
 
 
Mullahs' Export of Fundamentalism to Turkey, 
The Wall Street Journal, February 25 
 
	...Formal [Turkish] military lecturers 
accused Iran of aiming "to export antisecular 
Islamic revolution to surrounding countries, 
including Turkey" and of trying to acquire 
weapons of mass destruction and long-range 
missiles.... 
	These statement followed an open verbal 
attack last week on Iran by Gen. Cevik Bir, the 
deputy chief of general staff, during a meeting in 
Washington of the American-Turkish Council, an 
annual meeting of Turkish politicians and military 
leaders with U.S. politicians and lobbyists. 
 
 
Turkey's Gas Deal with Iran May Be Revoked, The 
Wall Street Journal, February 24 
 
	Turkey may reconsider plans to buy $23 
billion of natural gas from Iran over 20 years, 
people from Turkey and the U.S. said as Turkish 
officials met in Washington last week. The talks 
focused on how the U.S. could help Turkey find 
alternative energy sources. Turkey in August 
signed a contract to purchase gas from Iran, 
subjecting Turkey to possible U.S. sanctions....