KHARRAZI'S VISIT PROVE OF MOLLAHS ALLEGIEACE TO BRITISH THRONE
By Nina Kamran, IPS Diplomatic Correspondent
LONDON 10TH Jan. (IPS) Kamal Kharrazi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic arrived in London Monday for what the Iranian public opinion sees as the confirmation of the old, special relationship between the Shi'a clergy with the British government.
In fact, the visit take place despite an article published in the Times of London describing the legacy of ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as "a disaster" and renewed calls in Iran for the assassination of the world's outstanding novelist Salman Rushdie.
"When one considers that the leader stopped Mr. Khatami to go to France over wine issue and is preventing him from visiting Germany because of an Iranian terrorist in the one but authorises the Foreign Minister to go ahead with the London visit despite the Times article that the hard line press denounced as insulting to ayatollah Khomeini on the other, one does better realise the depth of the special relations between the Iranian mollahs with the Brits", one Iranian analysts observed.
"Even today, London is the only capital in the world where Mr. Khameneh'i and other grand ayatollahs have special envoys", he observed.
In an article dated first of January 2000, the veteran London newspaper said ayatollah Khomeini's rule was "a disaster".
"For Iran it was comparable to the Mongolian invasion of the 13th century.
For neighbouring Islamic nations his effect was to frighten moderate leadership and paralyse reform.
For the rest of the world he bears, in addition, a disastrous responsibility for inspiring and sanctioning state terrorism.
All three legacies will be hard to erase", the paper pointed out.
This stated, Britain is the last of the European nations to fully normalises its relations with the Islamic Republic, for, while President Khatami has visited Italy and France and is expected to go to Germany soon and that Mr. Kharrazi, as well as his predecessor, Dr Ali Akbar Velayati, have travelled to most European nations, this is the first time that a Head of Iranian post-revolution diplomacy comes to London.
Nonetheless, and as the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Radio and Television that are under the direct control of ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, had wrongly assured the nation that Britain had apologised for the article, (while in fact London had denied that its ambassador to Tehran had presented excuses over the Times article) both sides described the visit as a "landmark".
Relations between Britain and Iran improved steadily after the Islamic Republic officially pledged last year in New York to undertake nothing for implementing grand ayatollah Khomeini's contract of death put on the Anglo-Indian writer Salman Rushdie because of his book "The Satanic Verses".
Religious Foundations and so-called Islamic student associations controlled by the leader offered more than 3 US million dollars to whoever would carry the sentence and recently, 500 people in Mash-had, the capital city of the north-eastern Province of Khorasan said they have donated one kidney each to raise money for this purpose.
Mr Kharrazi will meet his British counterpart Robin Cook, who will make a return visit to Tehran in the spring. He will also pay a symbolic visit at Downing Street.
As Iran gears up for new legislative elections, any breakthrough in relations with Britain and the West would be seen as a victory for President Mohammad Khatami and Iranian reformists the moderates in his Government.
Kharazi has met his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, twice at the United Nations, and last month Sir John Kerr, the most senior Foreign Office official to visit Iran since the Islamic revolution of 1979, was in Tehran.
The two countries exchanged ambassadors in May and decided in September to resume reciprocal ministerial visits.
British officials say the visit of Mr. Kharrazi offers a chance to build on a fragile improvement in ties since Iran distanced itself from the "fatwa'' against Mr. Rushdie.
The visit is also in line with the general policy of "constructive dialogue" undertaken by the European Community towards Iran.
Unidentified British diplomats told Reuters news agency that Cook would raise concerns about human rights in Iran, its implacable hostility towards Israel, and fears it may be planning to develop weapons of mass destruction.
Britain is still regarded with suspicion in Iran for its imperial history in the Middle East, the special ties it had knotted with powerful Iranian clerics and close U.S. ties.
Regarded as Washington's closest allies in Europe, Iranian analysts say Britain could also play an important role in normalising Iran-US relations.
"This is a process of cautious, constructive engagement. We are prepared to co-operate where we have mutual interests. It doesn't mean everything in the garden is rosy,'' the British diplomat said.
He said Britain would press its view that Iran had no reason to oppose Arab-Israeli peace talks, especially now that its ally Syria has resumed U.S.-hosted peace talks with the Jewish state.
Britain also would address Iran's support for militant Islamic groups, including Hamas and Hizbollah that have waged attacks on Israeli targets, according to Reuters.
Among areas of agreement, the diplomat cited British financial support for
Iranian efforts to combat drug trafficking and Iran's unsung role as host to millions of regional refugees, as well as shared concerns about Iraq and Afghanistan.
In an authorised commentary, Tehran Radio called on Britain to abstain from "hiding behind old pretexts and rhetoric such as the one saying the press was free in England", a reference to the Times article that the Iranian hard line clerics say is against Islam and insulting to the founder of the Islamic Republic.
The commentary also warned that past London-Tehran relations could not be an example shaping future ties.
"However, it remarked, ground is paved for new relations based on mutual respect, principle of equality and non interference in internal affairs".
"Kharrazi would also call on the British for more respect of Islamic values, the Islamic world and the better collaboration on fighting terrorism", the commentary pointed out in reference to the outlawed, Baghdad-based, Iraqi financed and trained Mujahedeen Khalq Organisation.
In London, officials braced for possible demonstrations by Iranian opposition groups and Jewish organisations concerned by the fate of 13 Iranian Jews charged in Iran with spying for Israel. ENDS KHARRAZI BRITAIN 10100