Back to Brief on Iran
The remarks last night by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright , widely viewed as an olive branch extended to the mullahs' regime is an ill-fated attempt to appease a regime completely devoid of any potential of reform, said Ms. Sarvnaz Chitsaz, representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in the U.S.
The NCR representative in the US emphasized that Mrs. Albright's remarks about "normal relations" with the mullahs' regime come only one and a half months after the annual report on terrorism by the Department of State where the Iranian regime was described as the world's most active state sponsor of terrorism. Shortly before, the UN Human Rights Commission issued a resolution condemning the violations of human rights in Iran. All indications point to stepped up efforts by the Iranian regime to build up weapons of mass destruction and procure nuclear arms.
Ms. Chitsaz pointed out: Deepening conflicts within the regime, as well
as escalation of popular uprisings and the Resistance's activities and
operations across Iran, have driven the mullahs to the verge of collapse,
and all conditions are reminiscent of the final stage of the shah's rule.
She concluded that in such circumstances, policies seeking to appease the
mullahs will not affect their fate, just as the United States' all-out
support for the shah did not prevent his overthrow.
Appeased Mullahs Reject U.S. Offer, Demand Restrictions on the Resistance, Associated Press, June 18
WASHINGTON - Nearly two decades after Iran's Islamic revolution severed relations with the United States, President Clinton said Thursday he is convinced Iran is "changing in a positive way" that could lead to a reconciliation and a return to normal relations.
Clinton's comments reinforced an overture to Iran on Wednesday by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who urged Iran to join the United States in drawing a "road map leading to normal relations."
In Tehran on Thursday, state-run Iran radio poured cold water on Albright's gesture. "Washington's mere announcement that it is prepared to establish ties with Iran is inadequate," the radio broadcast said. "Washington (must) show goodwill as well."
Before relations can be restored, the United States must "renounce violence
against Iran" by ending its support for an Iranian opposition guerrilla
group based in Iraq, free frozen Iranian assets and "apologize to the Iranian
nation for its wrong policies in the past 50 years," it said.
Iran Exiles Deny Plan To Disrupt U.S. Game, Reuter, June 18
PARIS - An exiled Iranian opposition group denied on Thursday that it planned to try to disrupt Iran's politically charged World Cup match against the United States in Lyon on Sunday.
"The Mujahideen have no intention of demonstrating at this match or any other," said Behzad Naziri, a spokesman for the movement, which has its European headquarters near Paris.
Naziri said soccer was very popular among Iranians and that a number of exiles were likely to go to watch the game....
Naziri accused the Tehran government of forging threatening letters to create problems for political opponents based in France and other European nations.
"These letters were completely fabricated by the mullahs' information ministry and have nothing to do with Iranians living abroad," he said, adding that the Iranian opposition had written to FIFA to explain this.
The Iraq-based Mujahideen Khalq armed group continues the fight against
the Iranian government...
Planned EU-Iran Talks Postponed, Agence France Presse, June 18
BRUSSELS - European Union officials have had to postpone a scheduled trip to Iran this month to discuss human rights and terrorism, apparently because of Iranian dissatisfaction at the relatively low level of the European delegation, informed sources said Thursday.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg earlier this month agreed to the trip, designed to resume substantial dialogue between the 15-nation European Union and Iran after a freeze.
EU sources in Brussels said the Iranians appeared to have difficulties with the level of the European representation.
The hosts had wanted their visitors to have a higher profile consisting of political figures rather than permanent EU officials, sources explained.
The EU's "critical dialogue" with the Islamic republic broke off in April last year after the Tehran regime was implicated by a German court in the 1992 murder of Kurdish dissidents in Berlin.