KHAMENEH'I SAY THE US IS AFTER IRAQI OIL AND CONTROL OVER IRAN
TEHRAN 9 Jan. (IPS) Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader of the Islamic
Republic warned Thursday the United States that the Muslim people would not let
it to "digest quietly" Iraq and its oil wealth.
Mr. Khameneh'i, who’s leadership is more and more under question, also accused Washington of military build up in the Middle East "not for fighting terrorism, which is a big lie, but to extend its hegemony over the region, grab Iraq oil resources, control the Islamic Republic and protect Israel", according to a dispatch by the independent Iranian Students News Agency ISNA.
Though Ayatollah Khameneh'i has reiterated time and again his staunch opposition to any American attack on Iraq, but observers noted that in his speech he did not mentioned the subject, confirming recent reports that Tehran would not oppose Iraqi organisations fighting President Saddam Hoseyn from "activities from the Iranian territory".
Speaking to some hand picked people in the city of Qom on the occasion of the anniversary of the first anti-Shah demonstrations, which took place in this city on January 1978, in protest to an insulting article published in the daily "Etela’at" against Grand Ayatollah Roohollah Khomeini when he lived in exile in Iraq, Mr. Khameneh'i also slammed the so-called enemies that are at work against the Islamic Republic from both inside and outside and called the people to be "vigilant".
"The Islamic revolution is an eternal phenomenon and contrary to the negative propaganda of the enemies, it is supported by the whole of Iranian nation, particularly the young generation, the freedom and justice lovers", he assured as, according to the authorities, more than 200.000 Iranians, mostly young and the more brilliant ones, have left the Islamic Republic in the past years for a better life abroad.
Mr. Khameneh'i said the Iranian people are still cherishing and defending the Islamic Republic and revolution, but more and more, the people, including the students, in their protest movements, denounces the leadership and urge holding a referendum aimed at replacing the present theocracy by a secular regime.
The leader of the Islamic Republic said the enemy aims at deceiving the Iranian people on the concretisation of divine promises, but he did not elaborate on those promises and ignored the fact that none of the promises the Islamic revolution had pledged to the Iranian people for a better life, justice, humanity, equality and freedom were materialised. ENDS KHAMENEH'I WARNS THE US 9103