News

DATE=2/9/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-245302 TITLE=IRAN / INTELLIGENCE (L ONLY) BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL DATELINE=CAIRO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: OFFICIAL NEWSPAPERS IN IRAN REPORT THE COUNTRY'S INTELLIGENCE MINISTER HAS RESIGNED. RICHARD ENGEL IN CAIRO REPORTS THE IRANIAN OFFICIAL HAS BEEN UNDER ATTACK BECAUSE OF HIS MINISTRY'S CONNECTION TO THE MURDER OF IRANIAN DISSIDENTS AND WRITERS LAST YEAR. TEXT: TWO IRANIAN NEWSPAPERS, INCLUDING ONE OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT, REPORT IRAN'S PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI HAS ACCEPTED THE RESIGNATION OF THE NATION'S INTELLIGENCE CHIEF, QORBANALI DORI-NAJAFABADI. THE RESIGNATION OF MR. DORI-NAJAFABADI COMES ONLY FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE INTELLIGENCE MINISTRY ADMITTED THAT A FEW OF WHAT IT CALLED ITS ROGUE AGENTS WERE INVOLVED IN A STRING OF MURDERS THAT BEGAN IN NOVEMBER. THE NEWSPAPERS ALSO QUOTED INFORMED SOURCES AS SAYING IRAN'S CHIEF MILITARY PROSECUTOR, ALI YUNESI, IS EXPECTED TO BE THE NEW INTELLIGENCE MINISTER. MR. YUNESI HEADS A PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING THE MURDERS OF THE FOUR DISSIDENTS AND INTELLECTUALS. MODERATES CLOSE TO PRESIDENT KHATAMI HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR A PURGE OF THE INTELLIGENCE MINISTRY AND THE REMOVAL OF MR. DORI-NAJAFABADI. THE MINISTRY IS DOMINATED BY CONSERVATIVE HARDLINERS WHO OPPOSE THE REFORMIST POLICY SUPPORTED BY PRESIDENT KHATAMI. THE REPLACEMENT OF THE INTELLIGENCE MINISTER IS LIKELY TO BE VIEWED AS A VICTORY FOR IRANIAN MODERATES WHO HAVE BEEN LOCKED IN A POWER STRUGGLE WITH CONSERVATIVE HARDLINERS SINCE PRESIDENT KHATAMI WON A LANDSLIDE VICTORY MORE THAN A YEAR AGO. (SIGNED) NEB/RHE/JWH/KL 09-Feb-99 6:50 AM EST (1150 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .