Word: fedayeen
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...challenge facing the regime headed by Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan was reflected at a rally staged at the Tehran University soccer stadium by disgruntled leftist groups that want a bigger voice in the post-Shah government than they have so far been allowed. Under the banner of the Marxist fedayeen, an overflow crowd of 60,000 shouted "Down with U.S. imperialism!" and other slogans. In a feeble attempt at rhetorical counterattack, a few hundred supporters of Bazargan and Ayatullah Khomeini charged in chanting "Islam is protecting you. Islam has saved Iran...
Though verbally outgunned at the stadium, the Bazargan regime counted the rally as a victory in its struggle to bring order to Iran. Upset by the fact that no outspoken leftists have been appointed to Bazargan's 17-member Cabinet, fedayeen leaders called a midweek protest march by "all those who are concerned that the blood of martyrs has been spilled for nothing." Khomeini, determined to curb freelance violence of the type that resulted in the assault on the U.S. embassy two weeks ago, denounced the leftists as "non-Muslims" who "are at war with the philosophical beliefs...
...introduced legislation to create a system of revolutionary courts to take over further political trials. He also ordered the newly appointed Minister of National Defense, Ahmad Madani, and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammed Qarani to set up a new national guard. Its ultimate task: disarming both the Marxist fedayeen and the Islamic mojahedeen...
Trouble between the mojahedeen and the fedayeen broke out last week almost as soon as the Bakhtiar government fell. Both groups claimed responsibility for maintaining security, and there were minor clashes at various government ministries in Tehran. On Wednesday the fedayeen announced a five-point program for establishing a true "people's army" and a "revolutionary council," a plan that would obviously increase their voice in the new government. In Tabriz, the mojahedeen and the fedayeen were reportedly dividing up the city and digging trenches for defense, much as the Palestinian fedayeen and the Christian phalangists did in Beirut...
...fedayeen's most spectacular feat was their brief capture of the American embassy. What were they trying to prove? The best guess is that having fought with Khomeini's forces against the Shah, the fedayeen were trying to cause friction between Khomeini...