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RANIAN OFFICIAL SAYS U.S. AT WAR WITH ISLAM.

Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani said in a 16 September speech to seminarians in Mashhad that what he alleges is a U.S. campaign against Iranian nuclear activities is nothing other than a war on Islam, IRNA reported. The United States does not want the Islamic world to be equipped with modern and sophisticated scientific and technological knowledge, he said, and would not oppose Iranian nuclear activities if Iran was not an Islamic state. Hashemi-Rafsanjani said Iran should acquire nuclear technology to keep pace with the rest of the world. Hashemi-Rafsanjani praised the work of Iranian scientists and called on Iranian political parties to maintain unity. BS

Source: RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 7, No. 177, Part III, 17 September 2003

Comment: Rajsanjani is desperate, he thinks that if he can start a conflict that he can control and finally solve, he will get endorsement from the West to stay in charge of Iran and thus use Iran as his private cash cow for his family. The judiciary in Tehran should start a procedure against Rafsanjani jr. using the information obtained from Statoil in Norway.

IRANIAN PRESIDENT ENCOURAGES PARTICIPATION IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION.

President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami said in a 16 September speech in Sepidan, Fars Province, that the state must get ready for the upcoming parliamentary election and make preparations for massive public participation, Iranian state radio reported. "The people's presence in the arena will be an important source of support for the state and even for military forces," Khatami said. "That is because if the people are in the arena, military forces, which enjoy popular support, will smack all aggressors in the mouth." According to state radio, Khatami stressed the importance of supervising elections and the contribution of such supervision to the choice of candidates. However, according to IRNA, Khatami stressed the need for supervising elections but added that this does not imply an absence of choice. Furthermore, people should exercise free will in selecting their parliamentary representatives, according to the news agency. BS

Source: RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 7, No. 177, Part III, 17 September 2003

Comment: Note the text: support for the state and even for military forces Guess what is not included?