Khomeini, after meeting negotiators, reportedly plans ultimatum for Kurds

          
          Khomeini, after meeting negotiators, reportedl plans ultimatum for Kurds
          T17c Sun (Ji'3 I9 ), Jan 9, 980, PioQua t Hu to a1 Newspapeu,. BaIt mora Sun, The (1 837 986)
          jg. 52
          Khomeini, after meeting negotiators,
          reportedly plans ultimatum for Kurds
          Tehran lAP) Ayatollah Rubollah
          Khomeini, who plans to spend 15 days in
          elusion to recover fro 'n “excessive fa
          mnt with his ep in1 ringntinting
          team for Kurdistan yesterday and re
          solved to give the rebellious Kurds an ulti-
          matum according to the official news
          agency Pars,
          One government policeman was killed
          in a confrontation with a soup of inser
          gcnts in Mahabad in the tease western re
          gion of Kurdistan, Pars aid,
          Kurdish Democratic Party chief Abful
          rahmaa Qassemlou, best-known among
          the Kordish political leaders, appeared
          ready for compromise in an interview
          published in the daily Tehran newspaper
          when he urged the Kurdish peo-
          ple “net to be deceived by extreme left-
          ing groupo in the region. lIe did not
          specify shich groups.
          Kurdish spiritual lea&r Sheikh Eras
          din l 'losseini a long standing advocate of
          ai tonniny, also appeared to take a concili-
          atorY stance after the incident outside
          Mahabad Pars reported that Sheikh Ens-
          semi espressed “deep regret” over the in-
          indent
          Ayatollah Khomeini, scho canceled all
          appointments beginning this Saturday,
          asked that demonstrations planned from
          that day on be canc”led as well
          Fighting and violent demonstrations
          have escalated steadily in Iran's prov-
          meet, where ethnic and religious minori-
          ties have been agitating sporadically
          against the central government for
          months,
          Kardmsh cities were the scene last sum-
          maser and fall of bloody battles between
          government forces and Kurdssb rebels as
          serting their long standing demand for
          greater autonomy
          A member of Ayatollah Khomeini's
          special negotiating team to the Kurds, Ha-
          shem Sabagluan, said alter conferring
          with the revolutionary leader in Qom that
          the regime had prepared an ultimatum on
          the autonomy issue.
          “This is the last chance for political
          groups and religious leaders to get to
          gether with the people of Kurdistamg” Mr
          Sabaghian told Pars
          Negotiations between the Kurds and
          the government broke down late last year
          when the Khomeini government balked at
          bargaining with two let tint organmnatmons
          on the Kurdmsh side, the Fedayeen Khalq
          and Kumelh.
          Mr. Sabaghian told Pars that Ayatollah
          Khomeini had stressed during their meet
          ing, ‘I don't want even one innocent per
          son to be killed am further fighting in Kur-
          distan.
          A confrontation between insurgents
          and regional police outside the Kurdish
          stronghold of Mahabad left one policeman
          dead according to the official news
          agency Pars, quoting Jamabid ffaqgou,
          governor general of Wost Aaerbaiian
          province. The city is in that province, but
          is overwtmelmmnelv Kiirthsh
          A government column withdrawing
          from the city was ambushed by insur-
          gents, who disarmed 120 of the security
          forces One government soldier was re
          ported seriously injured
          The column “had to withdraw from
          Mahabad when it was faced by a g oup of
          protesting students and people opposing
          their presence in the city,” Mr. Haqgou
          was quoted as saying. The column was re-
          placing another contingent, on regular
          rotation, he said, when it was attacked
          At the same time, Pars said, four sol-
          diers were killed and three others hurt
          ‘“hen a truck collmned head on with a troop
          truck stopped on the road by insurgents
          In Saimandaj, chief city of Kurdistan,
          dissidents continued their seven-day-old
          sit in to protest the continued presence of
          revolutionary guards in their city Time
          guards were formed after Ayatollah
          Khomeini came to power last February
          and serve as his principal ecurity force
          Meanwhile, revolutionary guards in
          Ayatollah Khomeini s headquarters city of
          Qum searched “suspicious-looking cans”
          entering the city on the eve of a natmomial
          holy day. The guards said thousands of pu
          gums from the troubled Azerbaijan re-
          gmcn flocked to Qomn, which is a'so the
          home of Azerbaijani religious leader Aya
          tollati Mohammad Kazern Sluariat Madari
          In Tabrmr, capital of East Azerbaijan
          province, tens of thousands of people
          marched for the fifth straight day in sup-
          port of Ayatollah Shariat-Madari, a native
          of Tabriz
          State radio and televismon, in a nation-
          wide broadcast last night, played a tape
          recording of Ayatollah Slianat Madari re-
          iterating his appeal for an end to clashes
          between his supporters and Khemeini
          backers.
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