In a meeting with the clerical regime's President Mohammad Khatami and his cabinet members yesterday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei demanded that the "political murders" file be closed for good and dismissed the serial murders as "a peripheral issue."

"Is it really the case that our country's main problem is a few murders? We have an Intelligence Ministry and officials who can work together and solve this matter," Khamenei told the cabinet.

Khatami, for his turn, emphasized that "we are the defenders of the great legacy that (Khomeini) left in history and I hope that we can protect this legacy faithfully."

Khatami said in the meeting that if in previous administrations, Khamenei's views would only be "attached" to the government's plans and policies, in his administration and particularly in his government's Third Five-year Plan, the policies pronounced by Khamenei "have become the cornerstone and foundation of the plan" and "the macro policies and views of the Leader form the basis of our work."

Khamenei scolded Khatami and pointed out that despite the fact that "Mr. President has personally spoken about economic recovery and has made promises about it," his cabinet "has ignored the most important issue, which is the economy."

Khamenei also emphasized that the aggravating power struggle within the regime "will serve no one but the enemy's interests" and warned the clerical regime's officials that "the smart and wise enemy" will "make use of this opportunity instantaneously."
 
 

Hezbollah Assembly Invites Rafsanjani to Run in Majlis Elections, State-Controlled Tehran Times, August 25

TEHRAN - The Majma' Hezbollah (Hezbollah assembly) of Majlis has invited Head of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to run as a candidate in the upcoming 6th Majlis elections, the secretary general of the assembly told the Tehran Times here yesterday.

Hamid Najari added that Rafsanjani has been among the companions of the late Imam Khomeini during the revolution. "The assembly believes that the Expediency Council head is a competent person in legal issues," the secretary general explained….

Touching on the achievements of the government in the international scene, Najari referred to the dialogue among civilizations and presented an idea that a committee be established.

"The assembly has decided to publish a Persian, Arabic and English language publication to be called Hezbollah' (The party of God) which at the outset will be a weekly or monthly," the secretary general said.
 
 

Khatami under Pressure to Improve Economy, Reuters, August 25

TEHRAN - Mohammad Khatami is coming under growing pressure to address the country's troubled economy, plagued by recession, inflation and unemployment.

A year after Khatami unveiled an economic recovery plan, his administration has yet to show meaningful results. This has exposed the president to mounting criticism from the public and his political rivals.

Slight gains claimed by the government in some sectors have failed to reassure a public witnessing a steady decline in living standards, with no sign of an end to recession… [Khatami’s economic] promises have inspired little enthusiasm in a country mired in ideological and factional disputes.

Conflicting views within Khatami's own administration have also contributed to the lack of economic progress. Newspapers have reported disputes within the government between advocates of market reforms and those faithful to a centralized economy.
 
 

Cleric Leader: "Give Me A Machinegun And Watch" How I'll Deal With Rioters, Iran Zamin News Agency, August 24

Mullah Hassani, Friday Prayer leader of Urumieh and Khamenei's representative to West Azerbaijan Province, said: "It must be noted that one … rule has not been implemented in Iran. That is the third kind of execution."

The daily Javan, which reported the news on August 15, added: "He described death by hanging as the first kind, public hanging as the second kind of execution, and noted that: 'The third kind of execution is that the right hand and left leg or vise versa is amputated, so that it becomes a lesson for the future generations.'"

With respect to recent uprisings in Tehran, while emphasizing that "the rioters must be executed," he added: "Give me a machinegun and watch and see how I deal with that."…

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