---------- From: "Macdonald Stainsby" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [R-G] Iran Factional Fighting Flares Over U.S. Ties. Reuters. 30 October 2001. Iran Factional Fighting Flares Over U.S. Ties. TEHRAN -- Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected on Tuesday any direct talks with the United States and threatened to sack officials who speak out in favor of U.S. ties. Iran's top judge said meanwhile he had formed a special committee to crack down on "traitors who whisper about a compromise" with Iran's arch foe, the United States. "This is not a prejudiced opinion. It is an educated assessment based on thorough studies and experiences of other countries," Khamenei said in a public address. "We have reached the conclusion that not just relations, but any negotiation, with America is against the nation's interests," he said in remarks broadcast on state television. Khamenei said Iran had nothing to gain and everything to lose from official contact with the United States. "The Americans want to involve Iran in the Afghan conflict and make it a partner in the massacre of innocent people. They also want to show to the world that the Islamic republic has backtracked on its revolutionary ideals," he said. "Those who speak of ties have no ill will; they are just misinformed. They don't understand that negotiations will make the Americans ever more demanding." Judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi said on Tuesday he had formed a special committee to deal with those who speak of better relations with Washington. "We have resisted America when it was in a strong position; now that America is on the verge of collapse, whispers (about better ties) amount to treason," he said, quoted by state media. The judge was referring to a reformist member of parliament who said on Sunday that a parliamentary committee had reached a conclusion to establish direct contact with Washington. Iran has condemned the September 11 attacks, but refused to help the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan, calling for a U.N.-led coalition to fight terrorism. ------------------------------------------- Macdonald Stainsby Rad-Green List: Radical anti-capitalist environmental discussion. http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green ---- Leninist-International: Building bridges in the tradition of V.I. Lenin. http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international ---- In the contradiction lies the hope. --Bertholt Brecht _______________________________________________ Rad-Green mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
