Khamenei's all-out attack on Khatami, a turning point in mullahs' power struggle

Mr. Massoud Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, described Khamenei's speech in Tehran's Friday prayers as a counter-attack and an all-out political and international offensive against Khatami marking a turning point in the regime's infighting after Khatami's accession to presidency.

Khamenei's remarks confirmed that the clerical regime, faced with mounting internal crises and unable to confront the growing popular resistance, can only survive by propping up an external enemy as "an instrument of unity" and by sticking to its anti-imperialist demagogueries, Rajavi said.

Mr. Rajavi added: Khamenei reiterated in his speech that the rifts opened up by Khatami "will end up devouring everything" and that the issue of talks and ties with the United States is one of "the most obnoxious things" which will transform an "instrument of unity into an instrument of discord."

The NCR President pointed out: Years after drinking the poison chalice of ceasefire [in the Iran-Iraq war], Khomeini's death, and dissipation of the windfall profits brought about by the "Kuwaiti crisis," the mullahs have become too weakened to be able to cure any of their problems by such attempts. Conversely, the three-headed regime will merge deeper in crises, and the turn of events will speed up against the entire regime.

Mr. Rajavi stressed: 216 member of the mullahs' Majlis and many mullahs and leaders of the regime supported Khamenei's speech against Khatami, and this indicates the dimensions and impact of Khamenei's counter-attack.

He added: Eight months after Khatami's election, all the policies which hastily appeased the regime and sent it "good-will gestures" while levying the cost from the Mojahedin, have ended in failure.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
January 18, 1998

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