Khomeiny calls for huge army to meet strife with U.S.

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 8

Khomeiny calls for huge army to meet strife with U.S.

NZPA-Reuter Teheran The Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khomeiny has called on the country’s youth to build a 20-million-strong army as the occupation of the United States Embassy in Teheran entered its fourth week.

~said on Sunday that he was; • not particularly hopeful that! the United Nations would be< able to secure the release of| the 49 Americans still being! held. The students have released! [l3 American blacks and’ women as well as five; I Asian-employees. The United States aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk is steaming to join' the carrier Mid[way and other United States warships in waters near ■lran. More than 100 people waving swords yesterday ■demonstrated outside the [United States embassy in ■Teheran, calling for a jihad i (holy war). “Khomeiny, Khomeiny, i order jihad” shouted the

“America is our enemy,p and we must direct everything we have against it” the Ayatollah told Islamic’; Revolutionary Guards in the holy city of Qom. 1 “Direct all your cries and protests against the United’ States, equip your forces: and obtain military training: ...so that in a few years! we shall have a youth army of 20M,” he was quoted by 1 the official Pars news agen-', cy as saying. On November 4 students , demanding the extradition of the deposed Shah, under- , going cancer treatment in the United States, seized the ! embassy and took hostages. |. The United States has re- ( fused to return the Shah, and President Jimmy Carter i

who wore : shrouds signifying their willingness to face death. fl Although the Ayatollah re- ; ferred to the United States as Iran’s enemy, a spokes[jman for the revolutionary I; leader said the Ayatollah . had not declared a holy war against the United States. “The Imam (Khomeiny) [ has not yet declared a jihad against America,” a spokes- ! man in the Ayatollah’s office !in Qom told NZPA-Reuter by telephone. , "He simply asked the ’ nation to be prepared to ’ face a possible attack and to 1 undertake military training.” ! Ayatollah Khomeiny has 1 frequently criticised the United States, but has never used the word "jihad” in his > speeches.