CROSSING THE RUBICON, KHAMENEH'I DENOUNCES REFORMISTS

PARIS 18^TH Dec. (IPS) Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the embattled leader of the Islamic Republic crossed the Rubicon by publicly declaring war on reformists whom he denounced as agents and mercenaries of foreigners, including the United States and Israel.

"There are individuals who want to prove, with their rotten pens, that the US. is not our enemy and interestingly, they do all this in the name of reform", Mr. Khameneh'i told worshipers, most of them basijis (voluntaries) and soldiers of the revolutionary guards that make his main power-base, brought in to the university campus where the weekly Friday preachers are held.

"That man, with his corrupted pen, is trying to prove that the U.S. is not the enemy of our nation and that we have to compromise", the badly lamed leader said in a clear reference to the former owner-publisher of the popular daily "Khordad" who publicly defends the idea of resuming negotiations with Washington.

Speaking Friday in his capacity as the official Friday preacher of the Capital, Mr. Khameneh'i also replayed at length for the umpteenth time his sole favourite record: lashing at the United States and the "rotten pens" that defends the return of America in Iran.

"We are facing enemies who are aiming at destroying the national unity, the faith and beliefs, and the hopes in the future of the Iranian people and there are rotten, corrupt pens to defend the Americans, saying we must surrender to them", he added.

This was the first time since President Mohammad Khatami launched his political reforms more than two years ago that the Mr. Khameneh'i so openly expresses his hate of the reforms and reformists.

Instructed by the leader, the controversial Clergymen's Special Tribunal (CST) condemned Mr. Nouri to five years of imprisonment and the definitive ban of his newspaper, triggering a nation-wide support for him in the one hand and anger against the ruling conservatives and their flag bearer, ayatollah Khameneh'i on the other.

What irritated more Mr. Khameneh'i was the fact that all along his six days show trial, the former twice Interior Minister adamantly rejected the legality of the CST and for this reason adamantly refused to appeal.

"When the enemy claps for you, remember that you have done something wrong against your own people. That you have scored against your own camp. Go and think why you have done so and repent," he warned reformists.

"As you see, the internal agents of the enemies keep talking about a great political turmoil in Iran and the foreign radios too add fuel to the fire... some newspaper headlines in our country which claim there is tension, even mislead the foreign experts who maintain no presence here", he continued.

However, Mr. Khameneh'i urged the nation to repeat the "epic" of 23 May (1997 presidential elections that saw the unexpected victory of Mohammad Khatami over his own nominee Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri) in the next parliamentary polls.

"The next elections too, must become a source of honour and pride for the nation, just like the 2 khordad (may 23) elections," he said, adding that the presence of the people must "neutralise" the plots of the enemies". ENDS KHAMENEHI-RUBICON 181299