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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