US-Iran Match Turns to a Victory For Iranian Resistance, Associated Press, June 21

LYON, France - Frenzied Iranians spilled out of the stadium into the streets Sunday, turning their 2-1 World Cup soccer victory against the United States into a jubilant rally for dissident leaders.

Iranians packed the 44,000-seat stadium in this city in the heart of France. But most were supporters of the Iraq-based Mujahedeen Khalq organization, political opponents of the Islamic government in Iran.

Thousands in Lyon removed their red and green football jerseys to reveal white T-shirts bearing photos of Maryam Rajavi, wife of Massoud Rajavi who heads the Mujahadeen Khalq resistance movement. Dissidents want her to be the president of a new Iran.

Dancing to pounding drums and bellowing jubilation, they chanted, "Iran Rajavi, Rajavi Iran." An overwhelming majority at the rally were Iranians living in Europe and elsewhere abroad.

"This is the first time in 18 years we've had a chance to express our view like this, said Alireza Jafarzadeh, a member of the resistance. "A lot of these people have lost family members to repression for them this is life and death."

French police had confiscated many of the shirts before the game, enforcing a World Cup rule against mixing politics and soccer. But organizers claimed 25,000 got through security checks.

The politics abruptly pushed aside soccer after a day of partying between Iranians and Americans, which began as groups from both sides tied together the tips of their national flags and danced the linked colors through the streets.

Banners unfurled at the game read, "Iran Rajavi." Security police pulled them down and hauled at least one Mujahadeen out of the stands. During Iran's national anthem, new banners appeared, and police poured over the railings to seize them, often by fierce tug-of-war.

The Mujahadeen Khalq has accused France of keeping Iranians out while allowing in secret agents from Tehran to scan the crowd for people they wanted to punish.

French officials confirmed they turned back hundreds of Iranians at the border. Bearded men, identified by exiles as Iranian revolutionary guards, filmed faces among the revelry.
 

Jubilant Iranians Mix Protest and Celebrations, Reuter, June 21
 

Exiled Iranians demonstrated against the Tehran government shortly before the kick off of Iran's politically charged World Cup match against the United States on Sunday.

In a carefully orchestrated protest, scores of screaming and whistling Iranians held up bright orange banners showing a photo of Maryam Rajavi, described as their president-elect by the exiled National Council for Iranian Resistance.

Others held up long fluorescent green banners with the words "Iran Rajavi" emblazoned on them.

The opposition Iranians in the French-based council had denounced what they saw as attempts by Tehran to use the team's participation in the World Cup for propaganda.

Delighted Iranian players draped in the green, white and red national flag raced across the turf at the Stade Gerland after their historic first World Cup win. Their delirious fans greeted them as heroes while holding up banners in support of the exiled opposition.

The exiled Iranian opposition exploited the global television coverage of the politically charged match to make their point.

Grouped in pockets of several hundred around the stadium, other protesters constantly leapt up and down waving T-shirts showing portraits of Maryam Rajavi and of her husband, Iranian resistance leader Massoud Rajavi.
 "We came to show our support for the team and not the regime," said a spokesman for the opposition council.
 

Iran's Factions Harden Political Battle Lines, Minister Toppled, Reuter, June 21

TEHRAN - Iran's rival factions have edged closer to open political conflict with the ouster of a cabinet minister by the conservative-dominated parliament.
 Deputies in the Majlis on Sunday voted to force the resignation of Interior Minister Abdollah Nouri on charges of undermining social and political stability in the Islamic Republic.

"The country faces serious economic problems which can only be solved in a calm atmosphere... Unfortunately, the Interior Minister has been pursuing the opposite direction," said Mohammad Reza Bahonar, a vice-speaker of the Majlis and a leading conservative.

"If the current trend continues, the result will be something like Lebanon of a few years ago, or Yugoslavia."
 A conservative counter-attack has seen the closure of pro-Khatami newspapers, the corruption trial of the mayor of Tehran and now the confidence motion against Nouri.
 

Back to Brief on Iran