Der Spiegel reports CD-ROM in Iran exposing "ultraconservatives"
BBC Monitoring Service
April 9, 2001
Text of report by German news magazine Der Spiegel on 9 April
In the power struggle with the religious ultraconservatives Iran's
reformers might be celebrating a potentially decisive partial victory: for
the first time there seem to be sympathizers within the feared security
services of the Islamic state, who even pass strictly confidential
internal information to the opposition.
Dissidents in Tehran are now evaluating a very professionally made CD-ROM,
which was obviously put together by the intelligence service for the
purposes of internal documentation.
Accompanied by hymns and quotes from the Koran, it contains excerpts of a
coordination conference held by employees of the security forces of the
Islamic republic, the Information Ministry, and the military's judicial
authority.
In the recordings of speeches and interjections, which cover several
hours, fanatics are still bragging and boast with their detailed knowledge
- for instance about Iran's power elite. Information about the private
lives and also the property of the leaders is necessary in order to expose
politicians "if they get a big mouth and become impudent", was an open
threat.
During an analysis of the students' unrest in the summer of 1999, some
critical voices speak up. Some speakers complain that their own forces
were more poorly organized than the students and criticize the careless
observation of the activists.
In addition, the security forces admit that they had the body of a student
disappear who was killed during a demonstration in Tehran. If the crowd
had been given a martyr, one participant said, the people's rage could no
longer have been contained.
The fact that the recordings of the conference, which was held the year
before last, have reached reform circles just now is considered as a
hidden attack on a controversial man from the security services' own
ranks: former intelligence service minister Ali Fallahian. The former
agents' head is wanted on an international arrest warrant as one of the
wire-pullers of the Mykonos attack on Iranian opposition members in Berlin
in 1992.
Nevertheless, Fallahian is discussed as a candidate of the
ultraconservatives at the presidential elections scheduled for 8 June -
because, reportedly, his still considerable influence on the intelligence
services is supposed to secure power for the fanatics.
However, following a scandal about information leaks and reformist trends
in the security apparatus, even die-hard fanatics would hardly support a
candidacy by the internationally-ostracized Fallahian, in particular since
former head of state Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani is introduced by
rightists as another presidential candidate.
Still, both will hardly have a chance against President Mohammed Khatami,
who is expected to run again - if the election is not manipulated.
Der Spiegel
- BBC |
