5/27/2011
Article - Untitled Article
Publication: Guardian 1821-2000; Date: Mar 20, 1979; Section: Front page; Page: 1
Kurds agree to ceasef ire in. Iran
From Martin Wooi lacott
in Tebran
FIGhTING between Kurdish
irregulars and the l-
army garrison in Sa ,jp n -la ,
one of the principal towns of
Kurdistan, ended yesterday
I n p jirc Tt it was not
clear how well the ceasefire.
announced over the Govern-
ment radio, was holding, or
who now controls the town.
Earlier, the I(urds, who
took over the po d gem
darmerie headquarters and
the radio station on Sunday
night, were reported as hay -
lug surrounded the garrison.
Casualties are believed to be
heavy, with the state radio
reporting “dozens” killed.
The outbreak of viol-
ence—the first open clash be-
tween the Kurds and
Tehran's disorga army—
threatens the delicate
balance of forces in the Kur-
dish region, and could open
r the whole nationalities
Issue at a desperately inop-
portune time for the Govern-
ment Reports f r o In
Sanandaj suggest that the
trouble was partly a result of
Tehran's efforts to control
the Kurdisli situation. oliti-
call ., TJ.an has tried to
build up a local religious
leader Ahmad Moftlzadeh. as
the chiel Kurdish spokesman,
Soviet charges, page 6
mainly because it knows that
his autonomy demands are
less extreme than those of
some other leaders. Militar-
ily, Tehraa has tried to keep
Its garrisons intact and also to
strengthen Its position by dis-
tributing arms selectively to
the small Farsi (Persian)
communities in the towns.
There have been corn-
plaints about this kind of
policy from many of the
minority areas. Local revolu-
tionary committees.
dominated by Fersian towns-
people, favour their own
kind In arming the local re-
volutionary guards.
It appears that In Sanandal
Kurds demanded that they
br—given weapons on the
same scale as those already
handed out to the Persians
and to followers of Moftiza-
deh- The request was re-
fused, and street fighting
followe d The angry Kurds
captured the police sto#e*r
the gendarmerie head-
quarters, and the radio
station, which broadcast a
plea for help just before It
was taken. The Kurds also
captured the local uilitar3'
commander,
Since then there has been
a stream of appeals and
orders to both sides to £ O$)
lighting. These nave incinued
a broadcast by the Defence
Minister and direct orders to
the troops from the Chief of
Staff of the Armed Forces,
Ktirtlish leaders, including
h Al , Moftlzadeh and his
rivals, have also made
appeals.
A strong statement from
the Ayatollah Khomeini was
broadcast yesterday. lie con-
denuied any attack ott garri-
sons, adding “Moslems must
live In peace - - - we are all
of one nation and one
Koran ,”
The chances are that the
fighting in Sanandai will be
contained, for neither the
Government nor the Knrds
have anything to galn
open conflict. But the end re-
sult may well he to
strengthen the leaders the
Icurds have chosen them-
at the expense of the
Turn to back page, eel. 3;
revoliutiou The army went on
yesterday
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5/27/2011 Article - Untitled Article
Kurdish
Continued from page one
Government-sponsored IlIofti .
za dch .
Some idea of how difficult
it would be for the Govern.
ment to use force in such a
situation was- given yesterday
when the retonstituted army,
gendarmerie and Police units
of the capital paraded
through the streets.
Three weeks ago the Chief
of Stall, General Mohammed
Vail Garani, said that he did
not have a ‘i soldier in
Teh ran.” The parade proved
that after appeals t. soldiers
to return to barracks he bad
been able to rectify that.
But, although rearmed, the
men did not look remotely
ready to go off on campaign.
Led l iv Jeeps filled with
bearded revolutionary guards.
they shambled along with
red carnations In their rUle
barrels. Only a sprinkling of
officers was visible. Heli-
copters and a few spotter
planes flew overhead 4
“U will he a long time
before these men are pro
pedy organised and
eqiilpped,” a military man
said. But even - . if the• army
wore in better shape, an
attempt at a military solution
in Kurdistan and the other
nthwrity n gS Would almost
certainly end in disaster.
Some elements in the Govt
erament are thus being re
luctantly forced to the
conclusion that the new n-
stitution may have to Include
dd a federal element” and
that Informal autonomy will
not be cnougb 4
The Government has
plenty of other problems
domestic and international.
its relations with Afghanis-
tan appcar to have deter ior .
ated ,
© Guardian News and Media Limited
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