Aadel Collection
Iranian forces pursue retreating Kurds
© Guardian News and Media Limited 5/27/2011 Article - Untitled Article Publication: Guardian 1821-2000; Date: Sep 6, 1979; Section: None; Page: 7 Iranian forces pursue retreating Kurds From Lie thurgood in Tehran the Iranian military con Ilnued solidale its hold on recaptured towns and vil- lagen in lturdlstso yesterday, as 20,000 —esaed—Kurda were repaftedly retreat o the amall town of Sardasbt wills the Ar my closing In behind, The retreat coincided with the expolsion of anelber Wet- tern correapoadert for its cos'era e of the Kurdish rebel- lion- 9 terry P f toe Ietiddle'East magaatno, baaed l it London. was sold this morning by a Ministry of Nalianal Gued- a r ies official to leave Iran within cne week of “Falat porting” Mr Pesey'n ‘expulsion brings the number of Western corres- pondenta expelled since June to Il Os Tuesday, the Govern- meat ordered the Associated Preen bureau hen so close, Gsvernrssent forces are believed to control all strategic areas in the western pravtnt-'a Of Kurdittan and fit Kurds hav, ui'rsated in th ,li— Icing mopping-up after Moo- day's eollapne of Mahabad. Ibe Kurdish stronghold f T Iccarding to reports in Tehran yesterday, 20,ut o l{ur- dish gunmen have ,ioened of civilian refugees rnm rereotly-caplured Ku r iii ah towns and villages. Ltd ta heading for Sardaaht, near to the Iraqi frontIer, ,Sarda,iht in believed to be the last Kucdieh ntranghold after six mua$ intermittent fighting agasnat the Government. The Army waa repertedly preparing to move agaisat the assaIl loon yesterday - Idahabod was ysalerday an- seribcd no almoat deacrted. de- spate appeals from the Deputy Prime Mtnlatar, Dr Mactaft Charmrscs, for the “deceived Kurda to return and “repent Msdecent action.” Contrary to itrst reports, Monday's casualties were lighi and, it appeared that the Pea h Me r g a a two-hour each on ge of fire with the mililsry was designed to allsw the main Ksardlah force ta retreat lowerd ht, The feared Ayatollah Khalk- halt, w lss has sent mere than 80 Kurda to their deaths, was aiq stly planning te leave far Mahabad yesterday, despite lnatranttens from Tc-hran to re- turn to the capital. Ills pre- sconce In the province was expected to worsen the hoatil- ily between the Kurds and con- iral aetheritirs. In an effort to return ICurdintan to normal, the I, ,,,, 4iniller Dr Mehdi Batergan. lisa met Ayatollah Khomeini. A castor Govern- mont official who also attended the talks later said that mcdi- eat aid and load supplies were being airlifted Into the pro- v lsco where fighting has raged for almost three weeks. the airlift fottswed an earlier pledge by the Prime Minister In act aside one dsy'a nit revenues (about $65 sail- lions), for each province, Ia- eluding JCurdttlan However, some of I ,.,.. . It. roviacee are considerS — mare heavily peptolaled than others, and the plan has been criticised as “unfair,” MeanwhIle, - there vvnre mdi- cnlisns that the regime was lrysg to find a peaceful sotu- lien to the problems of an- other unhappy ethnic minority, she Tuclcomaaa front North-east Iran. c c or di rig to site Coy- ernmsnt newt agency, a aix- man team of Mullahs from Turkonsan Sabra has arrived in Qom far talks with Ayatollah Ichoenelni. The talks centre oo new development projects for the ares and the return of rich farmland seized during the previous regime and sold cheaply to the Shah's farpurite relattves and generals The arrival at the lean in Qom followed unaffiriai reports that a unit of Islamic guardsmen had been sent to C'enbad-r-Kavous, where tight- ing flared last April belweon the Turkomane and tort-ce layst to the Ayatollah, A Ministry of AgrIculture team left for Gunbad last week to “acquaint itself with the preblems facing the farmers” The Ministry was reported to believe that holdings of more than 50 heetares should be redistributed among the Turko- mans, many of wham live In poverty. the Governments apparent slowness in solving the Turks- man issue may tie in interde. psrtntentsl squabbling. The Interior Ministry, ostensibly re- spnnaible for internal security, Stat understnod to want mere gradual change, The Turko- mans received 20 per rent or alt crops secenlly harvested en the area, a figure that the Iblin- iatry would like to see in- creased to 30 per cant stat year. Meanwhile, a fire baa been raging for I-wa days sear the Caspino port cilt- of Enoelt. A local official said that the blare may have been aluried by farmers angered by the Gay- rrsment's recent expropriation of land In the area, Immedi- slot'- after the February upria- ing, many villagers catted large tracts of rich farmlands thaI had been natlosalised by the Shah, archive.guardian.co.uk/..jgetFiles.asp?... 1/2
5/27/2011 Article - Untitled Article archive.guardian .co.uk/. ./getFiles.asp?... 2/2