Iran’s neighbours are set for germ war—Shah

Press, 14 November 1977, Page 9

Iran’s neighbours are set for germ war—Shah

NZPA-Reuter Chicago The Shah of Iran has said in an interview that his country’s neighbours are preparing for germ and chemical warfare.

The Shah also told the "Chicago Tribune” that the United States was committed to defend Iran in case of communist attack. “What I want to raise with the American public is that either you have this bilateral agreement with us or not. If you honour it you have to come to our side if we are attacked by a communist country or a com-munist-inspired country,” h< said.

The Iranian monarch, who will begin a three-day visit to the United States on Tuesday, was asked about emphasis on defending against chemical and germ warfare attack in the training of Iranian troops. He was quoted as saying: “Some of our neighbours are heavily preparining for this.”

Asked if the neighbouring States, which he refused to identify, were preparing an offensive capability, he re-

plied: “In chemical and germ warfare, yes.” The Shah was quoted as denying torturing Iranian political prisoners, who he said numbered about 2200, but said he was unwilling to allow any outside agency to verify their prison conditions.

He said there were about 160 militant “Islamic Marxists” working toward his overthrow inside Iran. He denied that the Iranian police organisation, Sabak, was fashioned after the Soviet K.G.B. secret police. He also denied that Sabak worked with the American Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, or local American police forces against dissident Iranian students in the United States, who he said were “all Marxists.”

He refused to predict if the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries

would decide to increase oil prices at its meeting next month, but said the crux of the energy crisis was not oil pricing but finding new energy sources.

“What we say is that if you want to finish what remains of the world’s hydrocarbons and then think of new sources of energy, your present civilisation is going to die,” he was quoted as saying.

In the interview the Shah denied that he had visions of an Iranian empire around the Gulf, but said his country needed more weapons from the United States, because of superior Iraqi missiles.

Asked about his repeated threat to approach the Soviet Union if the American weapons supply ended, he replied: “Well if you don’t care about us, why should I care about you?”

He said he was confident that the British Chieftain tank would serve Iran’s

needs and predicted it would become the best tank in the world. ■

The “Tribune” quoted the Shah as saying he had no intention of producing atomic weapons from waste yielded by a nuclear-power

plant under construction in Iran.

He said such waste could be buried in Iran’s deserts or sent back to supplying countries in exchange for enriched uranium.

He said: “I am not going for an enrichment plant” —which could turn atomic wastes into weapon-grade plutonium.