Back to Brief on Iran BRIEF ON IRAN
No. 684
Tuesday, June 24, 1997
Representative Office of
The National Council of Resistance of Iran
Washington, DC
The heads of state and government of the eight leading industrial countries in their concluding remarks of the 23rd annual summit called on the mullahs' regime to halt its opposition to peace process, sponsorship of international terrorism, and violation of human rights. The 18-page final communiqué in its 86th paragraph said:
"We… renew our call upon the Government of Iran to play a constructive role in regional and world affairs. In this regard… we call upon the Government of Iran to desist from material and political support for extremist groups that are seeking to destroy the Middle East peace process and to destabilize the region. We further call upon the Iranian Government to respect the human rights of all Iranian citizens and to renounce the use of terrorism, including against citizens living abroad, and, in that connection, to desist from endorsing the continued threat to the life of Mr. Salman Rushdie and other people associated with his work. We call on all States to avoid cooperation with Iran that might contribute to efforts to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities, or to enhance chemical, biological, or missile capabilities in violation of international conventions or agreements."
"No Trade, no Ties, no Arms to the Mullahs!", The New York Times, June 23
DENVER -- … Students of Demonstration 101 could have gleaned tips from an Iranian exile group that bused in hundreds of supporters from around North America.
"No trade, no ties, no arms to the mullahs!" chanted the Iranians, supporters of a Paris-based opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
The demonstration included Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., who attacked Iran's theocratic government, saying, "You cannot be a state of God and do the devil's work."
Maryam Rajavi, the council's president, addressed the rally via satellite hookup from a guerrilla base on the Iran-Iraq border.
Seeing their leader speaking from a huge television screen in downtown Denver, the exiles responded enthusiastically, beating drums, clanging cymbals and chanting in Persian and English, "Maryam, our shining sun, we will take her to Teheran!"
Iranians Rally in Denver against Mullahs' Regime, Voice Of America, June 20
A few thousand demonstrators held a rally near the site of the Denver 'summit of eight' to call for severance of all diplomatic and trade ties with the Islamic government of Iran….
Protesters from an organization called 'The National Council of Resistance of Iran' want summit countries to press the United Nations for sanctions against Iran.
A demonstrator, Milad Kashaver, said the protesters hope their message of isolating the present government and recognizing the Iranian Resistance will resonate with the summit leaders.
U.S. Senator Warns U.K., Canada Firms of Iran Sanctions, Dow Jones News, June 20
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, sent a letter to a British engineering group warning the company that its pursuit of an Iranian oil and gas contract could violate U.S. sanctions law, his office said Thursday.
D'Amato, R-N.Y., warned the Pell Frischmann Group, a British engineering firm that reportedly signed a deal to develop Iran's offshore Balal oilfield, that such a deal would violate the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act. The law, known as ILSA, punishes companies that invest $40 million or more in either country…
A similar letter was sent earlier this week to Frischmann's partner, Canadian independent Bow Valley. Neither company has confirmed that they had signed the Balal contract… Iran's Oil Minister Gholamreza Aghazadeh said the project would require foreign investment of more than $100 million, but would be structured in a way to avoid U.S. sanctions….
Iran Jails Ex-Guards Officer for Leaking Secrets, Reuter, June 23
DUBAI - A former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for providing foreigners with confidential information, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported on Monday.
Ali Yunesi, the head of the armed forces judiciary, said Bijan Shafaq was also being investigated for alleged illegal financial dealings, IRNA said, monitored by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Yunesi said Shafaq had fled Iran after embezzling 10 billion rials ($3.3 million) but returned "through the cooperation of the Revolutionary Guards" and Tehran judicial police, IRNA said.