Extremely concerned about disorder, unrest and public protests simultaneous with the Islamic summit in the capital, the regime's Supreme National Security Council had earlier assigned the Guards Corps with the task of maintaining Tehran's security.
Several Guards Corps divisions, the State Security Forces, Bassij, Intelligence Ministry, and scores of other suppressive organs in the capital have been put on alert. A de facto curfew has been imposed on the city. Nevertheless, due to widespread discontent in the ranks of the Guards Corps, the regime remains concerned about the security of the OIC summit.
The mullahs have preposterously claimed that the holiday is intended to "facilitate traffic problems." It is not clear, however, in what way does traffic in southern and central parts of the capital, and areas in eastern and western Tehran, which are a great distance away from the site of the summit in north Tehran, affect the conference. These remarks are merely intended to justify the imposition of the curfew during the summit.
Seldom has such a curfew been announced in other countries when similar conferences were held. These actions clearly reflect the publicÕs hatred toward this anti-Iranian, and anti-Islamic regime and the mullahs' fear of the people's nationwide resistance. An escalating power struggle in recent weeks, has undermined the regimeÕs stability as never before.
Last week, Montazeri, KhomeiniÕs former successor, wrote to Khatami: "While you are unable to run the country... and maintain security, why are you going to hold the summit of Islamic heads of state? Have you thought about how you are going to offer protection to their leaders in this chaotic situation? How are you going to guarantee their security?"
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
December 4, 1997
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