The Guards Corps' statement again underlines the fact that export of terrorism and fundamentalism is indispensable to the clerical regime's foreign policy and vital to its survival. In this respect, the ruling factions do not differ. Promoting any "moderation" and "normalcy" within this medieval regime has no basis in reality and is only designed to justify economic ties with the mullahs' bloody dictatorship.
The clerical regime's officials and official organs have stressed repeatedly in recent months that Khomeini's criminal decree cannot be revoked.
Last October, shortly after the Cook-Kharrazi accord, the regime's Foreign Minister emphasized that the Tehran government "had not adopted any new position [regarding Rushdie] and that his position was exactly the same as those officials of the Islamic Republic had already reiterated."
Subsequently, a majority of Majlis deputies, officials and Friday prayer leaders as well as the state-run newspapers emphasized that the fatwa could not be changed. The bounty for Rushdie's head was raised from 2.5 to 3.1 million dollars and several extremist pro-regime groups declared their readiness to carry out the verdict.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
February 14, 1999
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