Rapprochement with U.S. has Iran worried

NICOSIA -- Iran is concerned that Iraq will escalate tension in wake of the Clinton administration decision to begin a rapprochement dialogue with Teheran.

Officials said Iraqi officials and newspapers have intensified criticism of the Islamic regime and warned against a U.S.-Iranian alliance against Baghdad. The officials said the attacks by the Iraqi-based Mujahadeen Khalq opposition group could increase over the next few weeks.

On Monday, the Baghdad-based Babel daily, owned by the son of President Saddam Hussein, warned Iran not to exploit its rapprochement with Washington "to play with fire against Iraq." The newspaper said the United States intends to use Iran to increase hostilities against Saddam's regime.

In Teheran, Iranian leaders are calling for national unity in preparation for any confrontation with Iraq. Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei urged President Mohammed Khatami to accelerate the investigation into the series of murders last year and the recent assassination attempt against a reformist Teheran city council member, Said Khajarian.

Officials said six people have been arrested over the Khajarian assassination attempt. The council member was shot on March 12 by two gunmen who escaped on a high-powered motorbike of a type only available here to government agencies.

In a letter to Khatami, Khamenei expressed concern over the state of national security and he ordered government ministries to "expedite efforts with more seriousness to follow up the case and bring those involved to justice," the official Islamic Republic News Agency said.

The attacks have been pinned on bastions of the Islamic regime such as the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij volunteer forces, which Khamenei termed as the "most reliable bastions of national security, with false accusations."

"Under such a tumultuous atmosphere, how the judicial and security organs can carry out their responsibilities with care and tranquil mood?'' Khamenei asked. "You had better commission officials to reach convincing result on case of the event [the attempted assassination] in a definite time; in that case my anxiety and concern would subside."