The appointment by the clerical regime's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, of Yahya Safavi as Commander in Chief of the Revolutionary Guards is designed to reassert his control over the Guards Corps in the aftermath of the mullahs' presidential elections.

With the leadership now carved up among Khamenei, Rafsanjani, and Khatami, the mullahs' regime is in the grips of internal strife and infighting. Shortly before his resignation, former Guards Corps chief, Mohsen Rezai, said in an interview that a considerable number of "commanding officers and veteran Guards Corps personnel are quitting the force" out of despair and complete loss of faith in the regime's future.

According to a statement by NCR, during the past 16 years in the Guards Corp., Safavi has been instrumental in implementing the mullahs' repression at home, export of terrorism and fundamentalism abroad.

"Safavi was one of the main founders of the Qods (Jerusalem) Force, the Revolutionary Guards' special branch responsible for terrorist activities outside Iran," the statement said.

Missiles in Iran of Concern of State, The Washington Times, September 11 

The State Department said yesterday it is "very concerned" about persistent reports that Russia and China are helping Iran develop long-range ballistic missiles.

In Moscow, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman denied that any Russian firms are helping Iran develop variants of the Nodong missile.

But State Department spokesman Jim Foley said Moscow's assurances of not providing missile technology to Iran lack credibility….

At the same time, members of Congress called yesterday for the Clinton administration to do more to prevent Russia and China from supporting Iran's effort to build two versions of North Korea's Nodong missile….

China's cooperation with the Iranian missile program also is a "serious concern," based on reports of technology transfers, Mr. Foley said….

An Israeli intelligence report supplied to the CIA and Pentagon identified at least five Russian firms, including the Russian Space Agency and its director, Yuri Koptev, and one Chinese company that are assisting Iran's Shahab-3 and Shahab-4 missile programs.

The missiles are expected to have ranges of up to 930 miles and 1,240 miles, respectively, and a prototype could be ready in two to three years, Pentagon officials familiar with the Israeli report told The Times.

Sen. Thad Cochran, Mississippi Republican, said the Iranian missile program will be discussed Monday at a hearing on missile proliferation…

Rep. Curt Weldon, Pennsylvania Republican, said he, too, plans hearings to explore reports of Russian and Chinese involvement in the Iranian missile programs. He is chairman of the House National Security subcommittee on research and development….

Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican, said the administration has issued more than a dozen diplomatic protest notes seeking to curb Russian and Chinese support for the missile program that appear to have had no impact…

U.S., Israel Concerned over Iran Nuclear Weapons, Reuter, September 11

JERUSALEM - The United States and Israel voiced concern Thursday over the danger they said Iran posed to the Middle East by arming itself with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

"Iran is feverishly arming itself with ballistic missiles and seeking also to develop nuclear weapons," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

He said most of their 70-minute meeting was devoted to discussing the "common threat" to Israel and the United States posed by Iranian arms….

"The United States has been concerned about Iran's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and their general behavior," Albright told reporters on the second day of a Middle East peace drive….

U.S. Eizenstat Concerned over Total SA's Iran Investment, Dow Jones News, September 11

BRUSSELS - The U.S. is concerned about plans by French oil company Total SA (TOT) to invest in Iran, and has expressed these concerns to the French government, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.

Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Stuart Eizenstat told a meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce here that the U.S. is adopting a "wait-and-see" approach to the Total investment issue, but said "we are concerned," about the situation….

Eizenstat met with E.U. trade chief Leon Brittan earlier Thursday and discussed other topics including the Total issue….

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