Ayatollah expels US news agency

          
          5/27/2011 Article - Untitled Article
          Publication: Guardian 1821-2000; Date: Sep 5, 1979; Section: None; Page: 6
          AyatolJah
          expels
          ‘Is news
          agencj
          Front Li! Thurgood
          In Tebran
          la'ap expelled a foreign news
          bisseet yesterday , Associated
          Press was closed 4own yester-
          day morning and its four oar-
          reapondeols ordered La leave
          the country within 43 hours,
          The American bureau was
          accused of “biased and dis-
          torted reporting which pro-
          yoked world opinino.' One Al'
          ste tson, Philip Dtpoulns, taut
          the Ministry ot National Guid-
          ance complained “in general
          about the tone” of AP report.
          ing and “was particularly
          upset by the agency's recent
          coverage of Iho trouh les In
          Kurdlatan .”
          ,,..t group expulsion
          brings to 13 tha number of fur'
          eign coreespondeots ordered to
          leave iran since the Ayatollah
          Khom cams to pswer last
          February . Mr Ali Iteheadnie,
          who over-aeon the foreign press
          in Iran, wan quoted by the Guy'
          reloe nown agency us eayiog
          the bureau would remain
          rinsed until the introduction
          sod acceptance uf new corres-
          pondents ,
          Preosore on the fersign
          press began in late June, vvitla
          the expulsion of the Los
          Angeles Times Correspondent.
          ft has gathered momentum In
          recent weeks. Mr Sadegh Tabs.
          tabaf oaf d on television ass Ens-
          day evening that lbs Itto
          major nows agencies Its Tehran
          wero dominated by Zienints—
          an expreanisn which rates
          among the b lgbsat in the 0ev-
          ernntsnt't bunk of maclb.
          In resnsrtcn printtd yester-
          day, Dr Nasser Minnchi. c bs
          Missietur for Nati505t Quid'
          sore, accused the dwindling
          fsrsign press corps of portray-
          ing Iran as a dictatorship, Ha
          elan reused unnamed foreign
          puhlicntisns of refsatng to
          print official retractions,
          The foreign press, hnsscnnely
          populer during the mnnth.s
          that led to tho Shah't eves'
          throw, fell front atliciat grace
          In also cttsoa after the t”rh-
          mary upristng. Rules govern-
          ing the cerrespeadtntt were
          drawn up last mssth, making
          them renpnnsihts for alt espy
          about Iran appearing in their
          pebltro4 o -
          Isv thsary, cerreapuadents
          entering Iran ure raw expected
          to tahoe uath pledging to
          “noaintats honesty.” Au inter-
          views with Gcverlnmant offi-
          cials should ha hold in the
          presence of a translator, either
          named or elfsciutly vatted, by
          the Minietry.
          Although neithar rule sa
          strictly enforced, such roatric-
          tioss have greatly sEe ded bIas
          ‘15 5w a! eewa. ‘ 5 Nat everyans's
          stopped talkine yet,” mid a
          Gayerement official vvho pro'
          ferred tu remain anaeyniauu,
          hut they anon will.” Meet ago
          with the regime's politicul
          opponents have berosnc lrrgelr
          riasdeatine sffoirv. -
          Among thesc news vaganaav-
          tisas v'ith cerrcspnndento re-
          cently erprtted from Iron Ira'
          the DNC and the Senriet
          Tunes. Earlier usia weak, the
          Daily Telegraph's stringer, who
          bed yct ta neck olitriat srrradi.
          tsttes, was given ten deya to
          leave Iran.
          archive.guardian.co.uk/. /getFiles.asp?... 1/2
        

          
          5/27/2011 Article - Untitled Article
          Meanwhile, á ranian miii.
          tory was yesterday reported to
          be cleaning up the last pockets
          of opposition in the rebel Kur-
          dish stronghold of Mahabati
          which was captured by the
          Government after a massive air. CA .J
          and armed offensive on Mon. an ivie ul a LI m I
          day. Reports frose the Drovince
          irs western Iran were contra.
          dieting. and it was stilL far
          from clear whether or not the
          Government had taken com•
          plete conirol of the Kurdish
          town of Baaeh, close to the
          Iraqi border,
          A Government radio reporter
          in a di patels frem Banch yes.
          terday said that no clashes
          oceured when troops entered
          the small town on Monday
          night, but there has been no
          independent confirmation.
          Meanwhile, helicopters were
          yesterday reported to be distri-
          buting leaflets aver Kurdish
          towns and villages in what was
          seen as the start of an Inten-
          sive propaganda campaign to
          win over the Kurds. The state-
          ment Issued by the Army,
          called on the Kurds to “aepa.
          rate yourselves front the cons
          piraters and The lackeys os
          foreigners.
          archive.guardian.co.uk/.../getFiles.asp?... 2/2