Word: ayatullah
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There were signs that Banisadr's power was indeed growing last week. In an unexpected development, he was appointed commander of the country's armed forces by Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's near absolute ruler. Earlier Banisadr had been made chairman of the powerful Revolutionary Council. Yet he was unable to gain Khomeini's full backing on the hostage issue. Though Banisadr had indicated to Waldheim that Khomeini would publicly endorse the commission and call for the hostages' release, the clerical strongman instead went on radio last week to denounce the U.S. and praise...
...admits its responsibilities and resolves never again to interfere in our affairs." This was soon contradicted by Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, who was in Athens on an official visit. There he declared that "our demands are legitimate and right, and the Shah must be extradited." And the Ayatullah Seyyed Mohammed Beheshti, First Secretary of Iran's ruling Revolutionary Council, indicated that Banisadr lacked authority to order the militants occupying the U.S. embassy to release the Americans. Such a move, maintained Beheshti, "would have to be approved by a majority of Iranians and by the students." As for the militants...
...Bush campaign is under the near total control of former Governor Hugh Gregg, who ran Reagan's campaign four years ago. The "Ayatullah Gregg," as Bush staffers call him, brooks no interference as he keeps the candidate moving with the precision of Mussolini's trains. "We work Bush like a dog," admits Gregg, who allows the candidate 22 minutes for lunch on some days, six minutes for a sandwich on busy ones...
Banisadr also won a battle against the ambitious mullahs who resented the rise of a layman to a position of such importance in the revolution. They tried to postpone the oath-taking ceremony until after elections to the National Assembly next month. But Iran's strongman, Ayatullah Ruhollah Khomeini, who has been hospitalized for three weeks following a heart attack, ordered the ceremony to proceed immediately. Khomeini himself administered the oath of office to Banisadr at the Heart Hospital in north Tehran...
...think you should not have been so surprised. Events have been coming toward this for years. Now the U.S. wants to use this occasion to rally the Muslim world against the Soviet Union. And yes, you have done it. You and him [gesturing toward a picture of Ayatullah Khomeini]. But the Muslim world is most concerned about Palestine and Jerusalem and you must remember that...