Mohsen Armin, member of the central council of the leftist Mojahedin-e Enghela’ab-e Eslami, said: "There has always been a wall of secrecy between the Intelligence Ministry and the society.

"The ministry's officials have (always) acted within this wall and it has been the cause for its (the ministry's) vague picture, which is accompanied by fear and anxiety in the society. Interference of the Intelligence Ministry in economic arena has been one of the most important difficulties in the past years."

The involvement of the Intelligence Ministry in the economic issues has been raised for a while in the political circles.
 
 

Report on Tehran University Incident, State-Controlled Daily Khordad, August 26

A report prepared by Tehran University officials regarding the incidents occurred recently at the university. Davood Soleimani, Tehran University deputy chancellor for student affairs, said: "Unfortunately, an organization, which should be honest with the people, offered a report on the incident to the Supreme Leader which is not based on facts. Of course, the Supreme Leader already knew the truth through reliable channels."

He called for the announcement of the names of those, who were involved in the attack against students, saying: "How come they assaulted people who have names, but they themselves must remain unknown?"
 
 

Western Visitors Remain Hostage, Agence France Presse, August 26

TEHRAN - Iranian officials say they will secure the release of four Western tourists and their guide kidnapped in southeastern Iran nearly two weeks ago.

Three Spaniards, an Italian and their Iranian tour guide were kidnapped at gunpoint from their hotel in the southern city of Kerman on August 14 and are being held by Shah-Bakhsh tribesmen.

The Shah-Bakhsh are one of two tribes which control southeastern Iran along the Pakistani border, an important drug-trafficking region.

The Abrar newspaper said this week that talks with the tribesmen had reached an impasse while Iranian officials said the matter was now in the hands of the intelligence ministry rather than local security forces.
 
 

Experts Detect Flaws as Cabinet Approves Outlines of Third 5-Year Plan, State-Controlled Tehran Times, August 26

TEHRAN - The cabinet of President Seyed Mohammad Khatami yesterday approved the outline of the Third Five-Year Development Plan that will now be presented to the Majlis for the approval by the lawmakers, an informed source said yesterday.

The outlines of the Five-Year Plan, third since the end of the Iraqi-imposed war in 1988 were prepared by a committee of the members including First Vice President Hassan Habibi, Plan and Budget Organization Head Mohammad Ali Najafi and Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Seyed Mohsen Nourbakhsh.

The source talking to the Tehran Times on condition of anonymity said, "The plan has very many flaws and also lacks the exact goals in respect of national economic developments." "For example," said he, "it is not clear what share of total revenues for the plan will be covered from agricultural and industrial sectors.

"In the same way, the plan has no convincing project to address the problems such as existing inflation and unemployment," he said. The program of the CBI is also not very clear on the amount of liquidity during the period covered by the plan, he said.

The growth rate has been fixed 6 percent, but the plan does not give details of the shares to be covered by agriculture or industry.
 
 

Boy Meets Girl as Girl in Mullahs’ Iran, Reuters, August 26

TEHRAN - Iran's morals police arrested a young men who tried to give them the slip by wearing make-up and women's clothing to be with his girlfriend, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Kayhan daily said Behnam, 18, was picked up at a park in the holy Shi'ite Moslem city of Mashhad, in a flowing overcoat and scarf -- mandatory wear for women under Iran's strict Islamic laws.

Behnam told police he resorted to cross-dressing to date his 17-year-old girlfriend under the noses of the vice squads that patrol streets and parks.

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