French, Soviets Warn Khomeini

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Baghdad discussed support for the Shah. Iraq and Who's protecting Khomeini other Arab states agreed to take behind-the-scenes action to ensure the Shah's survival. In particular. the in France? Arabs are fearful that a full-scale Shi'ite Muslim French diplomatic sources say that there is an intense "holy war" in Iran would spill over into the vital oil fight on between "various intelligence services in producing region of the Persian Gulf. Iraq has a large France" over the continued presence of Ayatollah Shi'ite population which would easily be affected. and Khomeini there. a growing population of Muslims resides on the Soviet A clue to who's sponsoring the anti-Shah religious southern border. leader is the solid support which France's daily Le The Arab oil-producing states have. moreover. Monde has given him since early this year. while also acted forcefully to quell all fea-rs of an international oil consistently publishing propaganda against the Shah. crisis as a result of widespread labor strikes. which Le Monde is closely associated with powerful French had closed down Iran's oil fields up until Nov. 8. Saudi Zionists. in particular the Rothschild family. And Arabian Oil Minister Zaki Yamani. in a statement that significantly. the director of the N.M. Rothschild went almost entirely unreported in the Western press. Bank. John Loudon. was until last year the head of vowed this week to increase Saudi production to offset Royal Dutch Shell. Another link in the chain is the fact Iran's diminished output. The Saudi move was meant that it was Morocco's King Hassan who personally to throw cold water on oil-crisis-mongering both from arranged for Khomeini to seek exile in France; Britain's Foreign Secretary David Owen and his Hassan is known for his longstanding ties to the same cothinkers, U.S. Energy Department head James French Zionist networks. Schlesinger and Henry Kissinger. Zionist support for Khomeini may at first seem According to French radio in a Nov. 7 broadcast. a paradoxical. given Iran's close ties to Israel. But these close confidant of the Shah announced that it was Zionist circles. and their friends in the City of London. neither the Soviet Union nor the U.S. which was have been publicly demanding the establishment of an destabilizing Iran. but a "third force." This is as close anti-Soviet military pact dominating the Mideast. as the Shah has come to openly naming Zionist and conforming to Henry Kissinger's scheme for an British intelligence for their crimes against Iran. The Israeli-Iran military axis. Khomeini is providing one quick expulsion of BP and Royal Dutch Shell would way to either force the Shah into line or replace him assuredly get the message across. with someone more amenable to the Kissinger - Judith Wyer gameplan.

dering on the one hand. that if the was done. but without success. It French, Soviets army were to replace him (the les was then decided in Iraq to expel warn Khomeini ser of two evils), it would lead in him. but allow him the choice of his the short term to a resurgence in exile. Kuwait was asked but re tension between Teheran and fused. Turkey delayed its answer. Baghdad, probably through some Algeria and Libya offered. on the In his "Letter from Baghdad," Kurdish uprising. And. on the other contrary. to grant him asylum. and Philippe de Bausset, Le Figaro's hand, a fanatical religious Shi'ite the Ayatollah refused. Mideast correspondent, warns revolution - a holy war - would It was finally through the medi Khomeini that his provocative or engender indescribable economic ation of Morocco and a special ganizing, which theFrench govern chaos in Iran, which would fatally envoy of King Hassan. a man who ment is closely monitoring, may devolve into political warfare.... is interested in playing a role in the result in his expulsion from In such a situation. there are present evolution of this region of France: question marks concerning the the world. that Ayatollah Khomeini The Baghdad government is a French attitude. Even though he landed in France. with. it appears. stonished by the fact that the was put under close surveillance at only a three-month, but renewable. French government has granted a his residence, Ayatollah Khomeini visa. sylum to Ayatollah Khomeini. Iraq succeeded. from the holy city of had taken care of him by expelling Nadjai (Iraq). where he was living Gaullist: Expel Iranian provocateur him, "manumilitari."Whateverthe for 15 years, in publishing incen cost, the Baghdad government diary messages, which passed Gaullist RPR Party Deputy and wants to preserve its relations with through a very organized network member of the National Assembly Iran for economic as well as poli of Mullahs.... Foreign Affairs Commission. tical reasons. Teheran had asked, after the Didier Julia has asked the French Baghdad especially wants the events of August, that the Ayatollah government to throw Ayatollah Shah to remain in power, consi- be more closely surveilled, which Khomeini out of the country.

28 INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE REVIEW November 14-20,1978

Following the outbreak of civil strife in Iran, and an legal requirement to prevent them being sued for not unprecedented strike by Iranian oil workers, the same fulfilling contracts when they decide to reduce British intelligence networks that fomented the crisis supplies. in the first place rushed to the presses with fabricated Both British Petroleum and Shell emphasized stories of an imminent 1973-style oil shortage and adequate supplies were available at the moment and warnings of "Russian takeover" of the Gulf oil fields, that it would take some time for lack of exports from beginning with an invasion by a mythical Farsi Persia to be noticed. speaking army division. A BP official estimated it would be a month before Leading the hue and cry was the British press, with any effect was felt. Oil to supply that month's require features by columnist Robert Moss falsely implicating ments was already in the ships, he said. the Soviets and their allies in the current crisis. No But both companies have already begun cutting less than three front-page lead articles of the Nov. 6 back supplies to Western Europe, America, and Daily Telegraph loudly warned of "Russians massing Japan. And this has raised the possibility that the on theIranian-Soviet border" and the "growing threat international "sharing agreement" might soon come to British suppJies of oil." Significantly, British into force. Petroleum and British-Dutch-controlled Royal Dutch Shell are at the center of the efforts to pull of another Aside from fabricating an oil-shortage scare, the oil embargo. Here are portions of these articles, Telegraph moved ahead to gain mileage toward beginning with John Bulloch's "Threat to Britain's wrecking U.S.-USSR relations in "Premier Quits in Supplies of Oil": Persia: Martial Law is Extended: Russians Mass on Leading international oil companies have begun Border" by Kenneth Clarke: cutting back on deliveries as a result of the growing ... Tension in the capital was heightened by reports Persian crisis. of massive Russian troop movements on the Persian British Petroleum and Shell, with some smaller border to the northeast in the area of the Atrak river. companies, have already declared force majeure, a There is acute Western concern about Moscow's

According to the daily Le Figaro which have provoked rebellion in prices of many commodities such Nov. 8, Julia has asked the French Iran over the recent months. as water and rents were increased. Foreign Minister "to take mea Pravda has consistently juxta Incited by the preachings of the sures to quickly put an end to the posed moderate opposition figures Mullahs. tens of thousands of activities of Ayatollah Khomeini in of the National Front - who have people went out into the streets of France. Mr. Julia underlines the formed a loose alliance with the the city. The demonstration. more absolutely abnormal character of Mullahs- with the religious estab over. coincided with the 16th anni the declarations, calls to revolution lishment. The Soviet daily's versary of the voting of the law for and to disorders and holy war in coverage reflects Soviet interest in agricultural reform. which Iran, put forth by a foreigner re seeing the Shah form a coalition essentially hurt the interests of the siding in France," and "questions government with moderate oppo priesthood. The clergy tried to use whether such activities pursued sition leaders, a move which would the discontent of the masses amidst silence - and thus one may decisively isolate Khomeini and caused by economic conditions and think. with the connivance of company. other factors for its own goals. to certain French authorities - are A commentary by Pravda protect its own interests. not likely to undermine France's Teheran correspondent A. Fillipov, interests and even to jeopardize the published Nov. 3, attacks the Is Pravda Nov. 4 also writes: French principle of noninter lamic religious leaders known as England and other imperialist vention into the internal affairs of Mullahs: countries looted Iran for a long another state." It has been almost a year now time. Now the international oil con since Iran began to shake from in sortium is continuing to do this by Soviets score Britain and ternal unrest. The beginning of the paying a price for the oil which is the Mullahs massive mobilization took place in under the world price. Therefore. Pravda of Nov. 3 and 4 expressed January of this year during the the country is in a recession, and is Soviet condemnation of the reac events in the city of Qom. a big reli forced to import basic food from tionary Islamic Shi'ite Mullahs gious center. where at that time the abroad.

November 14-20, 1978 EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE REVIEW INTERNATIONAL 29