Pitched battles in Teheran: Mullahs say 'ALL MARXISTS WILL BE SHOT'

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On Sunday August 23 the Iranian government announced over •state radio the capture of 500 oppositionists.

Among those captured. according to the government are almost the entire leadership of the Mojahedin.

The arrests followed almost three days of street fighting in Teheran; reports conflict as to how it began, the government claiming that the Revolutionary Guards (Pasdarans) had launched an attack on the Mojahedin headquarters in Western Teheran; other reports saying that it started with an attack by the Mojahedin on the infamous Evin prison.

Battle But in any case the government has now been forced to admit that it is engaged in an open battle with opposition forces, and its facade of being in control is gradually crumbling.

In recent weeks a number of hated Islamic judges have been killed by the opposition, and so have Pasdarans and leading IRP members.

In Tabriz, the Islamic judge Nuri was shot down in front of a crowd of people and the attackers escaped without any interterence.

ki When the news had spread people came out onto the streets and handed out sweets to show their delight at Nuri's death.

In Kurdistan there are now daily reports of clashes between government forces and the Peshmergas. Despite repeated onslaughts on Kurdistan by the Islamic regime since 1979. it has failed to take control there.

The regime has dropped all pretence at trying prisoners and the security forces have now been given carte blanche to shoot armed opponents on the spot.

Executed

'Anyone who admits to believing in Marxism will be executed immediately' announced Lajevardi, the public prosecutor, some weeks ago, announcing the stepping up of executions.

He declared that anyone letting accommodation to, or sheltering oppositionists, would be dealt with under 'Koranic Law' - that is, executed.

In addition, the regime is trying to step up its network of 'spies' and 'informers' Nightly TV programmes screen people denouncing their friends or relatives.

Khomeini has asked people to watch at least 2 or 3 houses in their vicinity for signs of anti-government eleNow Allah's ments.

So far it will is - civil war annears that the government has met with little cooperation, though the pro-Moscow Tudeh party and the Reydayeen (majority) unashamedly continue to support the regime and have even cooperated by reporting on oppositionists.

Another sign of possible weakness in the regime is its changed attitude towards the police, who have never really given their whole-hearted support to it.

Just a month ago Hassan Ayat, a leading member of the IRP who actively participated in the downfall of the Mossadeq government in 1953, was assassinated in front of his house. He lived next door to a police station but the police did nothing to pursue his attackers. As a result they were severely criticised by the IRP particularly by Rafsanjani.

But at Friday prayers on August 1, Rafsanjani made special efforts to praise the police force.

There are also "signs of disunity amongst the clergy. Some leading mullahs would like to slow down the rate of executions, but little heed is paid to this call locally as ..u Eu in fear of assassination.

Ex-President Bani-Sadr, now in exile in France with Mojahedin leader Masoud Rajavi, now calls for the downfall of the regime. But the political nature of the opposition forces still remains unclear; certainly Bani-Sadr himself while in office beat down revolutionary forces within Iran and (as commander-in-chief of the army) was responsible for bombing raids and attacks on Kurdistan.

In opposition he has become more radical but is clearly not to be trusted. Almost certainly he is banking on support from the Army top brass. The National Resistance Movement set up jointly by Bani-Sadr and the Mojahedin has not yet published a statement of its political aims.

There are reports that KOMALA (a left Kurdish organisation) and the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran have welcomed the setting up of the National Resistance Movement and are negotiating with it to coordinate activities as are the Fedayeen (minority) and Peykar.

It is vital that the left forces do work together because, despite the weaknesses of the regime, they have suffered severe casualties. Almost all of the leading members of Peykar have been executed, and the Fedayeen (minority) have lost 100 members.

The Mojahedin although much larger and more able to survive its casualties has also suffered heavy losses. With better organisation and united work such losses could be avoided.

It is also necessary to develop the nature of the opposition; to begin to organise broader layers of people, especially workers, to take action against the government. Without this, even if the downfall of the regime is inevitable, the Left will not be the victors. AT DAWN on Wednesday August 19 column of trucks half a mile long descended on squatter camps outside Cape Town, South Africa, and 2,000 squatters were arrested.

Their miserable huts branches covered with plastic sheeting -were ripped down, as the overwhelmed squatters sang hymns but offered no resistance.

Most of them were charged with not having their "pass book" . Generally blacks are not allowed to enter city areas except on specific contracts - and without their families.

But the alternative for the blacks is to stay in the so-called 'homelands' - and starve to death.

India is about to be granted the biggest loan in IMF history - $5.8 billion - and the opposition in India is sure that the strike ban is linked to the IMF'S secret conditions.