Aadel Collection
Kurds may wage mountain warfare
5/27/2011 Article - Untitled Article Publication: Guardian 1821-2000; Date: Sep 8, 1979; Section: None; Page: 7 Kurds may wage mountain warfare From Liz Thurgood I n Tehran The Prime Minister. Dr Bezargan. made an unexpected trip yesterday to the Iturdish town of Mahabad, the I nst— e l ' the rebel Western province. Dr Bazargen's visit came soon after Government troops entered the strategic border town of Ssrdssht, believed to he the last remaining Kurdtsh stronghold. Kurdish raltrire reportedly !ne!r' when the last of several thousand Kur dish refugees crossed —Cloy • ler into Iraq. The Prime Minister was accompanied by several aides, one of whom was believed to be Mr tiashem Sabbaghian, the Interior Minister. The Govermnent's successes in Kurdislan have been given pro..L.....,... in the Iranian media, but the Kurdrsney have been force the mountains from which they will engage the security forces In a long guerrilla war which Iran can ill afford. t& was not known whether the Prime Minister visited Mahabad with the blessing of Ayatollah Khomeini. If so. the clergy may have softened its hard stand on the Kurdish question. But observfl Tehran considered such a man- date unlikely, given the Ayatol • lab's recent denunciation of the Kurdisli Democratic Party, whieb—ereised leadership in the Kurds' struggle for autonomy . When the fighting began in Kurdistan last month, Ayatol- Li. ltl, ,.,, elni ordered Iranian air and ground forces treeS the insurrection. lie also out. lawed the Kurdish Democratic Party and e the arrests of its leaders . Dr Bsaargan was yesterday expected to attend memorial ceremonies for those killed a year ago when the Shah's troops killed hundreds of peace. ful protesters in a massacre now known as Black Friday. Yesterday's ceremonies, held at Tehran's big cemetery ot Behesht-e•Zahra, were led by Ayatollah Taleghani in the pre- sence of more than one million people. Despite the claims of the Persian-language press and State.owned television that most Kurds were flocking to greet tP 'my as it took over the province, independent witnesses have reported a mood of opposition among the Kurds. On Wednesday, 2,000 !enmr marched through the seeets of Mahabad, protesting against the presence of Islamic Guardsmen in the area and calling for the return of KDP leaders, Sheikh Ezzeddin Hosseint and Dr Ghassemlou who were believed to have fled to Iraq. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Khslk. hali, the Islamic Judge who has sent more than 80 Kurds to their deaths during •Pl flast three weeks, arrived in Maim- bad yesterday and ordered Kurds still holding out in the Mt o surrender end band in their arms. archive.guardian.co.uk/../getFiles.asp?... 1/2
5/27/2011 Article - Untitled Article •Xhalkhali's arrR F1olL ataà * telegram to Ayatollah Kho mc mi from the Kurds asking Mahabad to be spared the sum- mary justice of Iran 's revolu- a WtJ !d Media Limited lapse of Mahabad on Monday. archive.guardian.co.uk/.../getFiles.asp?... 2/2