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Iran completes exercises near Iraq, new parliament calls for press freedom

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Wednesday, June 21, 2000

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Iran has launched the last phase of its five-day Kheibar exercise while in Tehran the newly-elected parliament has called for freedom of the press.

The exercise was held in the Gilan Gharb exercise in western Iran and included armored, infantry and commando units of the Iranian Army. The exercise was held over a 300 square kilometer area near the Iraqi border.

Iranian commanders said the war games included helicopters, artillery, tanks and electronic warfare systems. They said in the exercise, air force fighter-bombers struck mock enemy targets while artillery provided support.

At the same time, commando units launched an offensive backed by helicopters.

The commanders said the maneuvers included night-fighting as well as the defusing of mine fields.

In Teheran, a majority of 290 members of parliament voted on Sunday to change a harsh press law and they ordered the judiciary to reopen pro-reform newspapers closed in a hard-line crackdown in April.

"The closure of 18 publications with a circulation of more than one million copies per day can only be likened to closing society's schools," Ahmad Bourqani, a member of parliament and a former deputy minister of culture for press affairs said. "Ideas must not be forced underground...A strong independent press is necessary to defend the basic rights of the people and create grounds for the law to be respected [by the state]."

A letter, signed by at least 150 parliamentarians, urging conservative judiciary head Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi to ease press laws and respect the rights of political prisoners, was also presented to parliament on Sunday.

"It is the minimum right of suspects to enjoy the protection of the law, but when a part of the judiciary -- which is supposed to guarantee legal rights -- denies the suspects their rights, then to whom can we complain?" the letter said. "The news ... concerning the unjustifiable behavior towards the prisoners causes deep concern in society and creates mistrust towards the judiciary and the state."

Meanwhile, Iranian officials said security forces killed two suspected members of the opposition Mujahdeen Khalq during a mission in western Iran. The officials said the squad intended to bomb government installations in Kermanshah, including the headquarters of the Iranian security forces.

Iranian security forces found hand grenades, radio equipment and a large amount of cash after the clash.

Wednesday, June 21, 2000

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