TEHRAN, Iran ( . Interior Min
ister Hashem Sabaghian claimed
Wednesday that the government and
a Kurdish delegation here had agreed
on terms for the army's entry into the
r h ihng minOrity a tmngh&d city of
Mahabad But a Kurdish spokesman
in Mahabad said he was certain that
nan not nappenen
The Kurdish spokesman said the
state radio, which had broadcast Sa
baghian's announcement was “dis
tortmg reports of the negotiations.”
The key issue appeared to be
whether the Kurds who now control
Majiabad, would allow Iianian army
forces to enter the city of 100,000 in
western Iran.
The Kurds, fighting in their pro
vinces for autonomy and withdrawal
of government forces, have said the
government cannot take Mahabad
But after a costly fight 50 miles to the
south lest week, they are now trying
to reach a negotiated settlement.
Last weekend, the government
broke a Kurdmih siege of the military
garrison at Saqqez, and Islamic revo
luttonary guards and army troops
backed by columns of tanks marched
to within 9 miles of Mahabad.
On Sunday, an unofficial cease fire
went into effect and a delegation from
the Mahabad city council was sent to
the Iranian capital to explore the pos
sibility of a negotiated settlement
Sabaghian said in a radio interview
Wednesday that the delegation “had
agreed that the army has to enter
Mahabad and take hold of the city's
security He pledged that the army
would leave the garrison within a
reasonable period, base itself outside
the city and convert the garrison Into
a university,
However, so official of t..e banned
Kurdlsh Democratic Party, reached
by telephone in Mahabad, salds “I am
certain the goodwill delegation has
not agreed to the army entering Ma
habad; not one person in Mahabad is
willing to agree t the army entering
the city,”
Kurdish sources said the truce was
holding around Mahabad Wednesday,
despite maneuvers by government
forces Tuesday night. But state radio
reported that the military garrison in
the mountain town of Jaldian 31 miles
west of Maliabad was attacked by
heavily armed Kurds Tuesday night
in a smihour attack that killed one
sergeant
In Mababad, a Kurdish party offi
eta! said “We do not held much hope
for the negotiations in Tehran,” in
view of hard hne statements by the
Ayatollah Ruhollah Ithomaini, Iran's
revolutionary and spiritual leader,
Two Kurds were among 16 persons
executed Wednesday, according to
the official radio, A revolutionary
court in ZaRan, about 125 miles east
of Mahabad, found the pair guilty of
“having entered into battle with God
and his emissaries on earth The
other 14 were prisoners who tried to
escape in the northwestern city of
Tabrmz the radio said
On Tuesday, Khomamnl sent a per
sonat envoy, Moslem cleric Hosielni
Kermani, to the Kurdish areas with
orders to “crush the outlaws if need
be.” Two weeks ago, Ithomaint sent
revo utionary prosecutor Ayatollah
Sadegh Khalkhall into the region, and
Kurdish sources have said that more
than 100 Kurds have since been exw
outed,
Also on Wednesday, the Ayatollah
Kazem Shsriaunadari, a Moslem cler
ic who is considered a moderate and
has differed with Khomam;, called for
a formal cease fire and negotiations
between the Kurdish rebels and the
government
“I have no doubt that this war is
imposed on them (the Kurds),” he
said, adding that if they accept nego
tiations, I personally guarantee that
they will not be shortchanged”
The interview was held privately in
a Tehran vil1a Shartatmadari refused
to see reporters from state radio and
television, charging that their organ;
rations had engaged in censorship
and failed o cover his activities.
Iran Claims 4greesnesit on Entrl Into Knrd Stronghold
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p 13
Iran Claims Agreement on
Entry Into Kurd Stronghold
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