From: hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU (Brad Hernlem)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast,soc.culture.iranian
Subject: Mojahedin Attacks
Date: 15 Apr 92 18:53:52 GMT
Reply-To: hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU (Brad Hernlem)
Organization: North Carolina State University


Excerpts from "Embassies all over the globe are trashed" in the Friday,
April 10, 1992 edition of the Iran Times:

WASHINGTON -- In a dramatic venting of opposition fury, hundreds of
Mojahedin supporters attacked 13 Iranian embassies and consulates on
three continents this week. 

According to news reports from the 13 cities, police arrested or
detained more than 250 persons in the attacks.

In general, the protestors trashed the diplomatic missions, wrecking
furniture, destroying documents and scrawling graffitti on walls.

But some of the attacks were harsher.

The raiders fractured the skull of one Islamic Republic diplomat in
Australia by beating him mercilessly while a video camera whirred. In
Ottawa the ambassador himself was administered a beating.

The protestors left the Stockholm embassy gutted by fire. The Hamburg
consulate was also badly burned.

While in most cities, the protestors stormed the embassies on foot, in
The Hague they used a car to ram through the embassy gate.

Not all the damage was done to the Islamic Republic's people and
property. In Bonn, two German policemen were stabbed by demonstrators
resisting arrest.

[...]

Norway and Germany both apologized even before being asked. Sweden said
the demonstrators who were not Swedish citizens would be expelled -- but
not to Iran. Australia said it would pay for all the damage done.

The United States apologized for the attack on the Iranian UN mission in
New York. "We take seriously our responsibility to protect foreign
diplomats," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher, who called
the attacks around the world "clear violations."

Highlights of the 13 attacks:

* MUNICH: The ground floor of the consulate was gutted when 15 people
forced their way into the building and tossed at least four explosive
devices. Police arrested 12 people.

* NEW YORK: Five intruders burst into Iran's UN mission, seizing three
hostages. They trashed the computers and other equipment. Police
arrived, entered through the back door and freed two of the hostages.
The five men said they had knives, so the police opened negotiations.
The negotiations were periodically interupted while the men talked with
the media by telephone. After two hours, they surrendered. Police said
they had no weapons.

* CANBERRA: An anonymous telephone caller alerted an Australian
government TV service that caters to the country's ethnic groups.
Several men stormed through the embassy gate when it was opened to allow
a car to depart. A cameraman followed them in. He filmed the group
attacking an Iranian official with a wrench, repeatedly bludgeoning him
as he lay on the ground covered in blood. Later identified as Ali
Borghei-Nejad, he received 17 stitches in his scalp. Seven persons were
arrested. Two were described as refugees who arrived in Australia nine
months ago and had been living on welfare since then.

* STOCKHOLM: About 50 people stormed the embassy. Several embassy
buildings in the compound and six cars were set afire. The main embassy
building was gutted. Police arrested 21.

* HAMBURG: The consulate was beseiged by a crowd hurling rocks and
firebombs, which did major damage to the building. About 20 people were
arrested.

* BONN: Protestors occupied the seven-story embassy for about two hours,
hurling furniture and papers from windows. As police moved in, a major
scuffle erupted, during which two police officers were stabbed. Police
arrested about 50 people.

* OTTAWA: Ambassador Mohammad Lavassani was slightly injured when about
35 persons brandishing baseball bats and a sledgehammer burst into the
embassy. Police arrested 31. Opposition MPs charged that Canadian
security officials were "asleep at the switch" since the Ottawa attack
came hours after the attacks in Europe.

* OSLO: Invaders trashed the embassy. One staffer was injured. Police
arrested about 25 persons.

* PARIS: A demonstartion outside the building turned into a clash with
police. Five managed to enter the embassy. Police arrested about 25 persons.

* BERN: Protestors ransacked the embassy building. Police arrested 24.

* LONDON: About 30 persons demonstrated outside the embassy, throwing
stones and breaking windows. They did not get inside. Later a firebomb
was thrown at the Iran Air office in London. Five persons were arrested.

* THE HAGUE: The demonstrators crashed a car through the embassy gate
and stormed inside. Police arrested about 35. A police spokesman said,
"Everything that can be destroyed is destroyed."

* COPENHAGEN: About 50 persons demonstrated outside the embassy. Police
arrested 11 who broke windows.



******

Don't these people have any relatives in Iran? How can they excuse this
kind of behaviour? How does beating ambassadors and representatives and
destroying records and property further their goals?

Brad Hernlem (hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast