NCRI, August 17 – In a ridiculous show yesterday, the clerical regime mobilized a group of Revolutionary Guards, members of the paramilitary Bassij and intelligence agents outside Isfahan uranium conversion facility to purport that the Iranian people supported its nuclear program. According to the state-controlled news agency, ISNA, the crowd, which it described as "students, clerics and members of the public," marched from Isfahan’s UCF to the Natanz site.
Mr. Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, emphasized that a vast majority of Iranians oppose the clerical regime’s nuclear projects. "Those gathering in Isfahan were all Revolutionary Guards, Bassijis and intelligence agents. Not only the students, but most young clerics and anti-government clergy strongly oppose the clerical regime and its nuclear program, which they consider contrary to the interests of the Iranian people," he added.
Simultaneously, a group of Bassijis and Revolutionary Guards gathered outside the French embassy in Tehran yesterday. Chanting "death to France, death to England," they set the French flag on fire. On Sunday, a group of the same people gathered outside the British embassy and hurled rocks and tomatoes at the building, breaking a number of windows.
In a resolution the demonstrators threatened the three major European countries, France, Britain and Germany, with terrorism. The resolution read in part, "Whatever you do, you are exposing your servitude to the U.S. Imperialism and international Zionism… If you do not revise your degrading attitude toward the Islamic Iran… we will mobilize all Hezbollah cells throughout the world who are seeking their rights against you."
Mr. Mohaddessin noted that the mullahs’ objective in organizing the theatrics yesterday in Isfahan as well as the gatherings outside the British and French embassies was to blackmail and intimidate European countries in a bid to prevent the adoption of a decisive policy vis-à-vis the resumption of nuclear activities and the referral of Tehran’s nuclear file to the United Nations Security Council.
The start of nuclear activity at Isfahan’s UCF is a blatant breach of the Paris Accord. Coupled with rejecting the recent resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the aggression against the French and British embassies they are a direct result of appeasing the ruling theocracy. Taking advantage of European soft line approach, the mullahs have put on a show of force and are challenging Europe. It is time for the international community, especially the EU-3, to abandon appeasement, refer Tehran’s nuclear file to the U.N. Security Council and prevent the clerical regime from using blackmail and intimidation to take European policy hostage.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
August 17, 2005