Minister ‘stirred up Kurds’ hostility

          
          5/27/2011
          Article - Untitled Article
          Publication: Guardian 1821-2000; Date: Oct 19, 1979; Section: None; Page: 7
          Minister ‘stirred up
          Kurds' hostility'
          From Liz Thurgood
          in Tehran
          A dispute between the
          Iranian Government and the
          religious Moslem 1 e ad e r s
          threatened to erupt last night
          over allegations that the D&
          fence Minister was guilty of
          working akainst the revolution 4
          This latest dispute, which
          coincided with reports front
          southern Iran that another
          four oil pIpelines had been
          blown up. centred around Mr
          Mostafa, Chamran, Iran 's new
          Defence Minister and uhe of
          Ayatollah. Khomeini's special
          envoys, Mr Mebdi Bahadoran,
          win has j ust returned from a
          four-week tour of the strifea
          torn Western provinces of
          Kurclistan and West Azathai-
          JdHI
          In a report presented earlier
          this week to Ayatollah Who .
          mcmi, Mr Babadoran accused
          th 48-year-old Mr Chaniran of
          arming feudal landlords in
          Kurdistan with the express
          yurpu e of “creating per-
          manent hostility and preju-
          dive” between Kurdish and
          Turkish-speaking IEeH hiiLUb .
          The Prime Minister's office
          issued a strong denial, describe
          ing the allegations as ‘ a ton i-
          p lete lie .” The statement added
          that Mr Bahadoran was not
          © Guardian News and Media Limited
          “and never had been” one of
          Ayatollah Khomeini's represen-
          tatives
          There was no official re
          action from the Ayatollah's
          bureau in the holy city of
          Qom, but aides confirmed by
          telephone that Mr Babado ran
          had written authority from
          Ayatollah Montazrl, head of
          the council of exports to act as
          Khomeini's representative in
          Ku rdistan
          Sabuteurs have blown up an-
          other four crude oil pipelines
          in the Southwestern province of
          Khuzestan. The explosions,
          which have reportedy not
          affected Iran's daily crude oil
          productloii or four million bar-
          rels, followed new reports of
          possible disruptions in the oil
          industry involving pay dis-
          putes.
          According to the Govern-
          ment news agency, the explo-
          sions took place late on
          Wednesday in the Masjed-e-
          Sotiman and Ahwaz areas. Oil
          from one pipeline spilled into
          the desert and caught fire, but
          the fire was put out quickly
          Reuter adds: f ran's revolu-
          tionary leader Ayutoflah Kho-
          meini has ordered a halt to
          executions until further notice,
          the Islaniic Recolutionary Pro-
          secutor's office said yesterday.
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