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.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner Further reproduction prohibited without permission
