Mr. Khameneh’i’s outright rejection of entering the US-led "war on terrorism" as well as any talk with Washington over the situation in the war-torn neighbouring nation was in response to increasing demands by some reformists to use the moment to improve ties with the United States in the one hand and secure a leading role for Iran in post-Taleban Afghanistan on the other, in the light of the 11 September deadly terrorist operations in New York and in Washington D.C.

But he did not say who carried the "assessments and the studies" or which countries experiences served as example.

"We have resisted America when it was in a strong position; now that America is on the verge of collapse, whispers (about better ties) amount to treason," he said, quoted by the state-owned Television that is under his direct control.

In its Monday meeting, the Judiciary elected a committee to oversee the implementation of policies set by the leader as well as the ratifications of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) concerning recent developments in the region and Afghanistan.

Many reformist allies of President Mohammad Khatami have demanded a review of a hostile policy toward Washington, saying Iran should think first of its long-term strategic interests, rather than ideological concerns.

"Our foreign policy, constitution, religion and people reject any compromise with oppressor America. Those who speak of relations with America are not speaking for this Muslim nation'', added, quoted by the independent Iran's student news agency ISNA.

The ayatollah told judges to take "legal action" against anyone who speaks in public of improving ties with the "Great Satan".

He also instructed the International Affairs Department at the Judiciary to form a committee to probe U.S. claims as well as allegations of human rights violations, saying that the U.S. measures "not only lack judicial logic but are also against their national interests".

"No legal and human logic accepts military deployment by a nation on the pretext of arresting several terrorist'' said Hashemi-Shahroudi, calling on jurors, judges, attorneys, and world's civil and independent institutions to inform the world on the legal aspect of the danger of U.S.' anti-human actions.

Iranian jurists, lawmakers and observers said not only the appointment (by the leader) of a non-Iranian born personality at the Head of one of the regime’s three powers is against the Constitution, but it is also the first time that the Judiciary duplicates both the Executive and the Legislative on highly important diplomatic matters.

Member of Majles' Presiding Board Ahmad Bourqani-Farahani Tuesday lashed out at Judiciary's move to set up a committee on Afghanistan as "unlawful', and called for disbanding it immediately.
Speaking at Tuesday's open session of Majles, Bourqani-Farahani said the Judiciary is constitutionally authorised to merely supervise the enforcement of laws passed by the House, adding that its action on Monday did not fall "within the scope of its responsibilities", according to the pro-Government official news agency IRNA.

Under Article 110 of the Constitution, he said, entering the jurisdiction of national security and foreign policy, unless authorised by the Supreme Leader, is interference in the affairs of the Supreme Leader and the Executive Branch.

Bourqani-Farahani described the Judiciary's decision as a move, which manifests a lack of co-ordination between the country's ranking officials.

"These are not legislations whose implementation must be overseen by the Judiciary", the deputy from Tehran observed, adding that the Majles had created a special committee to examine the recent developments of region.

The reason for a dialog with America is due to the crisis prevailing in the region and safeguarding our national interest,'' he remarked.

The MP from Khaf and Rashtkhar also cautioned on the danger of ignoring Iran's role in the future of Afghanistan, adding, "security of our eastern border should be assured''.

Mr. Ebrahimbay-Salami also stressed that while, Iran has not sought out the U.S., ''In order to secure our national interest, we should not conjure up diplomatic limitations. The Chinese did not have relations with the U.S. for two decades, but their ambassador was in constant touch with the Americans during this time''.

The members of the special committee met President Khatami on Sunday to review policies on regional issues and informed him that the committee has concluded that Iran needs to start dialogue and consultations withal parties to the Afghan conflict including the U.S.

"We have reached the conclusion that not just relations, but any negotiation, with America is against the nation's interests", the lame leader said amidst uninterrupted cry of "Death to America" by hundreds of people, mostly revolutionary guards, young basijis and lumpen, brought in by conservatives.

Eyewitnesses said due to security considerations, the speech was made in a place far from the city’s centre.

Washington cut off relations with Tehran after revolutionary student stormed the huge United States Embassy in central Tehran on 4 November 1979 and took 55 diplomats as hostages, keeping them there for 444 days.

In response, Washington seized billions in Iranian assets and imposed economic embargo, touching mostly the vital Iranian oil and gas industries.

The United States also placed the Islamic Republic on its list of "rogue" nations that defends and support terrorist organizations.

"Iran had nothing to gain and everything to lose from official contacts with the United States", Mr. Khameneh’i repeated in his speech.

"The Americans want to involve Iran in the Afghan conflict and make it a partner in the massacre of innocent people. They also want to show to the world that the Islamic Republic has backtracked on its revolutionary ideals", he said, adding that those who speak of ties have no ill will; they are just misinformed. They don't understand that negotiations will make the Americans ever more demanding".

But second Vice Speaker of the Majles Mohsen Armin who also is member of special parliamentary committee on developments in Afghanistan contradicted the leader, observing that talking with Washington does not mean normalising relations.

"Negotiations with all the parties to the regional conflict are not only useful but necessary", he pointed out.

On dialogue with the U.S., Armin told IRNA that the two issues, namely, dialogue aimed at establishing diplomatic ties and talking to all the parties in the Afghanistan crisis, including the U.S., with the aim of safeguarding national interests, have to be considered separately.

He said as far as he know, members of the Committee are all against resuming ties with the U.S., "especially in the current situation'' underlining what the reformist-dominated Majles wants is an "active and vibrant diplomacy and safeguarding national interests" against the current threats.

"Iran needs to maintain a certain level of contact with the U.S. and Taleban, which can be incorporated, in defined and clear propositions in unilateral or other types of meetings", he said, explaining these types of contact have existed before in issues and it can and should also be applied in the Afghan crisis.

Stressing that the Islamic Republic of Iran "will not support the United States to gain illegitimate interests in Afghanistan", Mr. Khameneh’i said any official in the government, parliament or the Judiciary may have personal outlook on developments in the world, but they should honour the constitutional commitment to follow the leadership on sensitive matters. Otherwise, their legitimacy within the Islamic government goes under question and sometimes religiously forbidden.

"Difference of opinion is acceptable on matters of administration and amendments to the law, but, the Constitution has put forward a clear-cut provision and has empowered the leadership to have the final say on critical matters" he said, referring to his own unlimited powers.

"The leadership determines the general policy of the Islamic Republic for different sectors and the direction toward which the country should be steered... However, while they can have different views about certain matters, but, in carrying out the general policy (decided by the leader), personal views should not intervene", he reminded.

Hundreds of thousands of young football funs but also ordinary Iranians unhappy with the clerical ruler’s harsh treatment of dissidents and massive clampdown of basic press, political, cultural and social freedoms, took to the streets following Iranian victory over Iraq, but then after the largely superior Iranian players lost a vital game to the tiny Bahrain 1 to 3 followed by an unimpressive 1 to nil against the Persian Gulf United Arab Emirates, fighting with the LEF and other repressive forces depending from Mr. Khameneh’I in his capacity of the Supreme Commander of all Iranian Armed forces, including the Police.

Though the authorities admitted the arrest of some 4000 people, with 2000 of them in Tehran and another 1000 in Esfahan, Mr. Khameneh’i put the number of those the conservatives branded as "hooligans, counter-revolutionaries and trouble-makers" at about "some 100 to 150 misguided by US-financed foreign media".

Following the unrests that saw protesters attacking public buildings, setting fire on buses while branding Iran’s "national" flag and chanting slogans against the Islamic regime and Ayatollah Khameneh’i in person, comparing him to dictators like the Chilean Augusto Pinoshet or the Iraqi Saddam Hussein and the system he represents to that of the ruling Taleban in Afghanistan, the authorities decided to ban satellite dishes that allows people to get foreign radio and television, including Iranian-operated and privately-owned stations, mostly based in Los Angeles.

"The enemy is magnifying small events in Iran irrespective of the fact that the large part of Iranian youth population are ready to stand against any possible conspiracy against the Islamic Republic", the leader further said, quoted by the official news agency IRNA.

Analysing the troubles and the regime’s harsh answer, experts and sociologists pointed out that despite 22 years of constant and expensive propaganda campaign aimed at forming an Islamic society, not only the clerics have badly failed, but have not learned the basic rules of governing a young society that aspires for modernity.

"The gap between ruling clerics who wants to impose their own obscurantist views, getting its sources from the time of the prophet Mohammad 1420 years ago with a very young, open and dynamic population living in the global village is growing fast, fomenting a social explosion", warned one expert in Tehran.

Though Iran was one of the first nation to officially condemn the 11 September terrorist attacks, yet it failed to capitalise on the sympathy it generated with the Bush administration and lost the game to Pakistan, its main rival in Afghanistan. ENDS KHAMENEH’I ESFAHAN 301001