Iranian Reformists

More on Dorri resignation

More on Dorri resignation: "TEHRAN, Feb 9 (AFP) - Moderate Iranian President Mohammed
Khatami accepted the resignation of his conservative intelligence minister Tuesday, weeks after a shock admission by the ministry that
rogue agents were involved in a string of murders of dissidents.

Qorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi's resignation follows mounting pressure from radical supporters of the reformist president for a thorough shake-up of the secretive intelligence services over the wave of murders which shocked public opinion.

The minister had resisted repeated calls to step down, with conservative supporters saying the ministry's record was distinguished and denouncing their opponents for making political capital out of the killings.

But in the face of mounting tension over the issue, the president put pressure on Dorri-Najafabadi to resign, sources close to the government told AFP.

"Now that after serving at the intelligence ministry for one and a half years ... you have decided to resign and stop your cooperation with the government at that ministry ... I accept your resignation," said a statement from the president carried by the offical news agency IRNA.

Khatami thanked Dorri-Najafabadi "for your great efforts and services" and expressed appreciation for "the valuable endeavours of our colleagues at the intelligence ministry who are the defenders of the revolutionary values as well as national security and the rights of the citizens."

In his resignation letter, the intelligence minister insisted that he had had nothing to do with the murders personally and had fought to ensure that agents respected the law and the constitution.

"Recent unfortunate events were against the wishes of the vast majority of the ministry's staff ... I was very strongly against them as I am now and was upset," said a text of his letter read on state radio.

The minister said he had finally been persuaded to resign because mounting criticism of his management of the ministry was impeding its effective operation.

He said he hoped his departure would deprive "vengeful enemies of any further opportunities" to attack the country's security apparatus and "pave the way for suitable conditions for the ministry's effective operation."

Khatami hinted he might find Dorri-Najafabadi another job in government. "Of course the government and the nation will certainly
benefit from your knowledge and experience and capabilities elsewhere and in an appropriate manner," he said.

Dorri-Najafabadi will remain a member of the key political arbitration body, the State Expediency Council, and will be appointed an adviser to the president, the Tehran Times said.

Khatami asked the minister to stay on in a caretaker capacity until "I nominate and introduce a candidate for the intelligence ministry to the parliament."

The government newspaper Iran Daily reported that Ali Yunesi, another conservative cleric and member of a committee investigating the recent murders, was the most likely candidate to succeed him.

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution Yunesi has held a number of senior positions -- he headed the powerful Tehran Revolutionary Court and helped set up the intelligence ministry with the arch-conservative cleric Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri.

Two deputy ministers at the intelligence ministry will also be replaced in the shakeup, the Tehran Times said.

Last year's murders shocked public opinion -- secular dissident Dariush Foruhar and his wife Parvaneh were stabbed to death in their own apartment in November.

Soon afterwards unknown assailants killed writers Mohammad Mokhtari and Mohammad Pouyandeh and a third writer, Majid Sharif, was found dead in mysterious circumstances.

The ministry has so far arrested a number of its agents, who will be tried by a military tribunal.

Dorri-Najafabadi's departure is the second from Khatami's government since his shock election victory in May 1997.

Last year reformist interior minister Abdullah Nuri was impeached by the conservative-dominated parliament after allowing pro-Khatami demonstrations which led to scuffles with hardliners."

posted by JBOC @ 7:32 PM