Pro-reform demonstrators defy rally ban

IRAN: Following five consecutive nights of protests against clerical rule, Iran's reformists yesterday echoed conservative accusations that Washington was interfering in Iran's internal affairs.

"The Americans ignore the presence of millions of people greeting the Supreme Guide and President, but they call the protests of a few individuals the voice of the people," said Mr Hamid Reza Asafi, foreign ministry spokesman in the government of PresidentKhatami.

The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Mehdi Karroubi, a leading progressive, said that the "children of the Islamic Revolution" had "their differences" but "they all stand against the enemy".

The reaction seems to have been prompted by Saturday's White House statement of concern over the use of violence by the regime against "Iranians peacefully expressing their views".

Last week two stalwarts of the conservative clerical faction, the Supreme Guide, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the former president, Mr Hashemi Rafsanjani, castigated the protesters and charged Washington with using US-based Farsi satellite television channels with trying to stir up unrest.

Thousands of pro-reform Iranians took to the streets of the capital in their cars on the night of Saturday-Sunday in a unique motorised demonstration mounted in defiance of a ban on rallies issued by the ruling conservative clerical faction, a heavy police presence, and violent attacks on demonstrators the previous night by hardline Islamist vigilantes. Smaller rallies took place in Isfahan, Shiraz and Ahwaz.

On Saturday police rounded up members of the hardline Hizbullah (Party of God) and the Basij paramilitary youth movement who raided residential hostels at two Tehran universities early that morning and beat sleeping students with iron bars and chains. Two leading members of the Religious-Nationalist Alliance, Mr Taghi Rahmani and Mr. Reza Alidjani, were also detained for holding secret contacts with students.

The protests erupted just as it was reported that the conservatives, who have obstructed all reforms proposed by the liberal faction, indicated they might be prepared to ease opposition to two bills proposed by Mr Khatami and approved by parliament.

Last month the hardline clerical clique came under pressure from 127 of the 270 members of parliament, who sent a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei demanding that he choose between democracy and dictatorship and assume responsibility for the decisions of the Guardians Council.

Also under fire from the protesters for failing to deliver on pledges to carry out reform, liberals fear that the conservatives will use the unrest to veto these important bills.

Reuters adds: EUforeign ministers will adopt a plan today aimed at showing they are serious about fighting the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and couple it with a warning to Iran.

Diplomats said the 15 ministers would back a plan drafted by EU foreign policy chief Mr Javier Solana to combat the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons - involving diplomatic action and financial boosts to arms inspections, and schemes to stop former Soviet arms falling into the wrong hands.

EU officials said the WMD plan was part of the development of a first European security strategy, on which Mr Solana will give ministers a verbal report today.