From Brian Grogan in Tehran and Richard Carver in London 'WE WANT a people's army, a OUTC army!' censorship!" "The new government is a government of bazaar merchants and aspirations of the workers! the which does Led by the Fedayeen, several thousand chanting demonstrators last Friday marched to the 'Komiteh' (Committee), Ayatollah Khomeini's organising centre at a school in the suburbs of Tehran.
The 'Islamic marshals' the door refused to admit a delegation. The Ayatollah had developed a strange indisposition. Finally they relented and allowed eight people through to deliver a message.
Earlier had held a meeting football pitch at the university. The university is one of the few open forums for discussion, beyond 'Islamic censorship' It is also the only place where women mix with men on ar equal footing and take part in meetings. here, only blue jeans.
Assembled there were soldiers from all three services, deserters. yeen. It quickly became clear must shoot the generals. must build a people's army.' No sooner were these slogans shouted than the news came through that four of the Shah's generals had been tried by an Islamic tribunal and executed The meeting pressed. Despite the obvious SAVAK gethis come upad ce, people were asking why he was not put on public trial, so that SAVAK's activities could be properly exposed.
And everyone realises that the executions are being carried out under pressure and are a substitute for destroying the One soldier at the meeting said: We followed the call of EYEWITNESS Islam to desert. Now it tells us:
get back to your barracks and don't worry what happens to the superior officers who have not changed their attitude.' REPORT And what should be position towards officers who did change their views: How are we expected to place any confidence change their coats from one day FROM IRAN to the other?' a sergeant asked.
Speakers called for committees to link together rank and soldiers, officers and 'popular vanguard Islamic capitalists, meet on demonstrators on the constraints is LuCre are no veil was unimseeing the head their WILD the in leaders who low-ranking forces'. These would elect new officers and form the basis of a new people's army.
in the space of a few days Khomeini's strategy come clear. He never favoured the insurrection and now plans to disarm the masses quickly, get rid of symbols of the Shah's control of the army, and transform the old military apparatus into an 'Islamic arm Even in Tehran, where th army Is all but Khomeini plans minimum of rebuilding, which is why he is so anxious that the command structure intact.
If necessary he is prepared to treat LUCILLIES. There is talk of the Moslem Mojahedeen over the functions of the old Imperial Guard. account will the Bazargan regime allow the free armed organisation There is a problem, however. The militant mood expressed at the Tehran university meeting widespread Out estimated 100,000 guns distri buted durin only 20,00 have returned The government having difficulties just organising the collection of arms is using the mosque, which the only functioning administrative network in the country.
But the problem runs deeper than that. Even devout Moslems convinced that the usefulness of their guns is finished.
The establishment of formal militias and the election officers is the only way that the arming of the people can maintained and the army held at bay. Already there have been clashes between 'Islamic soldiers', celebrated being occupation of the American embassy.
Similar reports are coming in from the rest of the country, though it is impossible to assess accuracy. government talks about clashes oro-Shah forces difficult to know believe those who attacked the US embassy were described as pro-onan Certainly fighting reactionary forces is still going on. In Tabriz the army has put up its stiffest resistance. There too the left-wing forces are in the strongest position.
The Bazargan has tight control over radio and television, though this is being challenged. The demonstration to the Komiteh on demanded the abolition censorship and the journalists, who played a leading role in the committees Rene has beBazargan intended.
hated hardship.
crushed, to do the back?
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taking But on no Khomeini- us terribly.
of the taken over.
of an widespread the insurrection been control - 11 educational the most are the same. of After be elected leftists and the most around the for these support.
When it is what to and legalisation by government. their names land.
government coordinate under control.
Friday of come out firmly against state conto onews country is returning to work, but with none of the enthusiasm government Worker work cause they have no other way of bility formerly supporting themselves, ularly after months of strikes Indefinite strike is not Icansuc prospect, but pertinent to ask: under wha This is how one General worker belongs to Pahlavi Foundation which now should belong to the workers.
part belongs imperialists who have exploited This part should also now belong to the workers. Tranother per Who has fled to komiteh, The other part belongs to the the US and therefore should be sentiment nationalisations. One of the meeting, a teacher, also raised the question of who was to conditions and terms of work:
*Ayatollah Khomeini asked us to strike, denouncing system and dreadful books of the imperial regime. Now he is calling on the Saturday and is asking us to go for months of factories assembly and refineries being directed by rule strike committees, the old managers.
It is unlikely that will accept this state of affairs ate elections The demand elected should take over the factories It remains to be seen how of land before the insurrection were waiting for Khomeini to the their markers on a chosen bit of Khomeini was damping down the struggle. His 'committee to And strikes' attempt to get the movement In the oilfields representaby Bazargan, were trying to get domestic production restarted. struggle against the Shah, have They had already got posta and dock work slowly the had letter 'usurpation partic- representatives of oil workers. which have caused immense suppression of free expression of diverse conditions should workers go the fate of Portugal, Argentina Socialist Challenge before the gate has resigned on the basis (the that: It was the us but to give us orders. to Komiteh is an asking This worker was echoing a events. But then who elected for the Komiteh?
people at the Tehran university story. In Ahwaz and Abadan oil towns, administration power, the the people to go back to work on Khomeini and Bazargan have back to school. But the system government. It is quite possible hasn't changed and the books that at some stage they will want to LO For the control is being handed back to something different is needed workers accountable to them. Immedi that constitutent committees be a way of guaranteeing that.
But such would be likely to find a lot of themselves only be guaranteed the mass the long confidence in Khomeini is maintained and developed and maintained. Peasants occupied armed militias formalised Some appended for example, shops are now summer open for the first time in ages -villas of the rich, awaiting the at the same time as armed go-ahead to occupy. Others put groups of Islamic and left-wing militia patrol the streets Most people But even before the uprising giving the new government a most doing the rounds here: "The tives of this committee, headed cannot emerge from the army La magician's hat.
Socialist Challenge 22 February 1979 page 3 workers back to A leading strike committee member in the oilfields resigned in disgust. He issued an oper protesting the of the responsi held by the complained 00IOES on the grounds that they are trying to prevent divisions,' and ended by warning 'we must remember - and especially Chile.
Another oil workers' dele La coup d'etat.
Bazargan didn't come to help Last Friday's march to the indication of popular dissatisfaction with the appointed regime. People are who appointed Bazaranswer is the the mysterious committee in the suburbs which Khomeini uses to orchestrate Outside Tehran it is the same for example, the two southern La provisional has taken comprising merchants and mullahs, with the odd student. In the heart of the oil industry there is not a single oil worker involved.
It is still unclear what plans ruture of COSULUCI legitimise their mass movement - a government immediately sovereign assembly would if the independent organisation movement A strange atmosphere now its prevails in Tehran. There is a superficial air of normality -seem to be few more days to prove itself.
of them are convinced of the accuracy of one of the favourite slogans army of the people of the Shah, like a rabbit out of
USSR TURKEY AZARBAIJAN Rezai • Mahabac KURDEŞTAN The radical wing of the
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