Khatami's choice of Intelligence Minister a hallmark of continued status quo, escalating repression

In an interview with the mullahs' news agency, IRNA, Qorban-Ali Dorri Najafabadi, Khatami's nominee for Minister of Intelligence, stressed upon "realizing Khomeini's ideals" and "tough approach to subversive elements."

Revealing his intention, "to use popular intelligence sources," Najafabadi acknowledged that he intends to expand the Intelligence Ministry's network of suppression and information gathering across the country.

Najafabadi also stressed the need to maintain "strength and discipline" in government offices, indicating that suppressing any form of protest or voice of dissent at the work place has priority on his agenda.

Najafabadi openly expressed concern about the escalation of the Resistance's activities and increasing public opposition to the regime, describing them as "the enemies' threats and conspiracies." Referring to "the expansion of cultural contacts, communications and well organized onslaught of the enemies of the Islamic Republic," he displayed the mullahs' paranoia over the Resistance's radio and television programs.

For some time, Dorri Najafabadi was the Friday prayer leader of Shahr-e Kurd and a religious judge in Chahar-Mahal Baktiari Province, western Iran. After Khomeini's death, Khamenei gave him the task of spying on Hossein-Ali Montazeri (Khomeini's deposed successor). Informed of his intentions, Montazeri shunned him.

Najafabadi was also a member of the council overseeing the radio and television programs and of the central council of the Society of Combatant Clergy. As such, he has had a long record in intelligence gathering, surveillance, inquisition, repression, and censorship.

As a member of the Supreme Council of Global Association of Ahl-e Bait, he has for years been involved in terrorism and export of fundamentalism to foreign countries.

The Ministry of Intelligence is the regime's biggest organ of control, repression and export of terrorism. It is responsible for securing the existence of the mullahs' regime. The ministry receives the lion's share of the budget, facilities and personnel to carry out its missions in and out of Iran against dissidents. It gets its orders directly from Khamenei and reports direclty to him. In addition to suppression of dissidents and extraterritorial terrorist bureaus, the ministry has special branches to control cabinet ministers, government officials, and the clerics.

Najafabadi's appointment to the Ministry of Intelligence confirms that Khatami is neither inclined nor capable of initiating any change in the repressive and terrorist policies of the theocracy ruling Iran.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran - Paris
August 19, 1997


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