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SECRET PAGE 01 PARIS 02949 01 OF 03 271423Z ACTION NODS-00 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 /001 W ------------------093629 271430Z /41 Z 271303Z JAN 79 ZFF 4 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO SECSTATE WASHDC FLASH 4021 S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 02949 NODIS CHEROKEE STADIS//////////////// E.O. 12065: RDS-2 L/27/99 (CHAPMAN, CHRISTIAN A.) OR-P TAGS: PINT, IR SUBJECT: MESSAGE TO USG FROM KHOMEINI REF: STATE 022215 1. (S - ENTIRE TEXT) 2. YAZDI GAVE ZIMMERMANN AT 1015 AM PARIS TIME JANUARY 27 A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM KHOMEINI TO THE USG. IT IS THE FIRST FIRST-PERSON MESSAGE FROM KHOMEINI PASSED IN THE YAZDI-ZIMMERMANN CHANNEL. ZIMMERMANN HAD PROPOSED A MEETING WITH YAZDI ON THE BASIS OF REFTEL (WE REPORT YAZDI'S REACTION TO REFTEL IN SEPTEL); WHILE ZIMMERMANN WAS DRIVING OUT TO MEETING PLACE, YAZDI WENT TO SEE KHOMEINI; WHEN ZIMMERMANN ARRIVED, YAZDI GAVE HIM THE MESSAGE. YAZDI HAD APPARENTLY TAKEN IT DOWN VERBATIM IN FARSI FROM KHOMEINI; HE TRANSLATED IT WHILE READING IT TO ZIMMERMANN. KHOMEINI MESSAGE IS QUOTED BELOW; INTERPOLATIONS IN - ARE YAZDI'S RESPONSES TO ZIMMERMANN'S REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION. SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 PARIS 02949 01 OF 03 271423Z 3. BEGIN TEXT OF KHOMEINI MESSAGE. THE ACTIVITIES AND WORKS OF BAKHTIAR AND THE PRESENT LEADERS OF THE ARMY ARE NOT ONLY HARMFUL FOR IRANIANS BUT ALSO ARE VERY HARMFUL FOR THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICANS (YAZDI: THAT MEANS THE AMERICANS IN IRAN). THOSE ACTIVITIES MAY FORCE ME TO ISSUE NEW ORDERS IN IRAN. IT IS ADVISABLE THAT Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 YOU RECOMMEND TO THE ARMY (YAZDI: THE ARMY AS A WHOLE, NOT JUST THE LEADERSHIP; WE DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO) NOT TO FOLLOW BAKHTIAR AND TO CEASE THESE ACTIVITIES. THE CONTINUATION OF THESE ACTIVITIES BY BAKHTIAR AND THE ARMY LEADERSHIP MAY BRING A GREAT DISASTER. IF BAKHTIAR AND THE PRESENT ARMY LEADERSHIP STOP INTERVENING IN THE AFFAIRS (YAZDI: OF IRANIANS), WE WILL QUIET DOWN THE PEOPLE, AND THIS WILL NOT CREATE ANY HARM FOR THE AMERICANS. THESE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIOR (YAZDI: BY BAKHTIAR AND THE ARMY LEADERSHIP) WILL NOT BRING CALM OR STABILITY TO THE REGION. THE NATION WILL LISTEN TO ME AND, THROUGH MY COMMAND AND IMPLEMENTATION OF MY PLAN, STABILITY WILL COME. WHEN I ANNOUNCE THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT, YOU WILL SEE THAT MANY OF THE POINTS WHICH ARE VAGUE WILL DISAPPEAR (YAZDI: KHOMEINI MEANS AREAS WHICH ARE FUZZY TO THE USG) AND YOU WILL SEE THAT WE ARE NOT REPEAT NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ANIMOSITY WITH THE AMERICANS, AND YOU WILL SEE THAT THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC, WHICH IS BASED ON ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY AND LAWS, IS NOTHING BUT A HUMANITARIAN ONE WHICH WILL BENEFIT THE CAUSE OF PEACE AND TRANQUILITY FOR ALL MANKIND. CLOSING DOWN THE AIRPORTS AND PREVENTING ME FROM GOING BACK TO IRAN WILL DISTURB FURTHER THE STABILITY, NOT ONLY FAILING TO STABLIZE THE SITUATION BUT EVEN DESTABILIZING IT FURTHER. I SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 PARIS 02949 01 OF 03 271423Z HAVE BEEN ASKED BY FORCES FOLLOWING ME TO GIVE THEM PERMISSION TO GO AND OPEN THE AIRPORTS FOR MY RETURN (YAZDI: BY FORCE). HOWEVER, I HAVE NOT GIVEN SUCH PERMISSION. ALSO, ARMED FORCES FROM WITHIN THE MILITARY, AS WELL AS NON-MILITARY ARMED FORCES (YAZDI: FOR EXAMPLE, MILITIAS AND UNDERGROUND ARMED FORCES, ALL OF THEM WITHIN THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT), INCLUDING THE TRIBES, HAVE REQUESTED PERMISSION TO ACT AND END THE PRESENT SITUATION (YAZDI: THAT IS, TO FORCE BAKHTIAR AND THE MILITARY LEADERS OUT OF POWER). HOWEVER, I HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM THE PERMISSION YET. I PREFER THAT THE PROBLEM BE SOLVED IN PEACE AND WITHOUT VIOLENCE OR BLOODSHED AND THAT THE DESTINY OF THE COUNTRY BE GIVEN TO THE NATION TO SECRET Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 NNN SECRET PAGE 01 PARIS 02949 02 OF 03 271422Z ACTION NODS-00 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 /001 W ------------------093624 271427Z /44 Z 271303Z JAN 79 ZFF 4 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO SECSTATE WASHDC FLASH 4022 S E C R E T SECTION 02 OF 03 PARIS 02949 NODIS CHEROKEE STADIS//////////////////// DECIDE. END TEXT OF KHOMEINI MESSAGE. 4. ZIMMERMANN REQUESTED FURTHER CLARIFICATIONS. WHAT DID KHOMEINI MEAN BY THE "ACTIVITIES AND WORKS" OF BAKHTIAR AND THE ARMY LEADERSHIP? YAZDI SAID THAT THEY HAD CLOSED DOWN THE AIRPORTS FOR THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS. YESTERDAY THEY OPENED FIRE ON THE PEOPLE; AT LEAST 16 WERE KILLED IN TEHRAN, AND IN SANANDASH (PHONETIC) IN KURDISTAN, POLICE FORCES AND TROOPS HAVE ATTACKED CIVILIANS AND BURNED DOWN MANY HOUSES AND SHOPS. ALSO YESTERDAY AT LEAST A DOZEN DAILY PRESS JOURNALISTS WERE ARRESTED. THESE, SAID YAZDI, ARE EXAMPLES OF THE "ACTIVITIES AND WORKS" REFERRED TO. 5. ZIMMERMANN ASKED ABOUT THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE ARMY LEADERSHIP AND THE ARMY AS A WHOLE. YAZDI SAID THAT THE PRESENT ARMY LEADERSHIP IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHAH AND RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY OF THE MASSACRES, WHILE THE REST OF THE ARMY IS DIFFERENT AND IS EVEN SYMPATHETIC TO THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT. 6. ZIMMERMANN ASKED ABOUT THE REFERENCE TO THE APPOINTMENT OF THE "PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT"; WHAT "VAGUE" POINTS WOULD BE CLEARED UP? YAZDI SAID THAT, WHEN KHOMEINI ANNOUNCES THE MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 PARIS 02949 02 OF 03 271422Z GOVERNMENT, "YOU WILL KNOW WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE YOU ARE DEALING WITH AND CAN TALK TO THEM IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY." YAZDI WENT ON: "IF KHOMEINI ANNOUNCES THAT ENGINEER BAZARGAN IS HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT, YOU CAN TALK TO HIM OFFICIALLY AND BAZARGAN WOULD MAKE Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 CLEAR WHAT IS VAGUE TO YOU. YOU HAVE IN MIND THAT COMMUNISTS OR SOME OTHERS WILL TAKE OVER THE COUNTRY. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS ANNOUNCED, YOU WILL SEE THAT NONE OF THIS IS CORRECT. YOU WILL SEE THAT THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT IS CAPABLE OF BRINGING STABILITY. " 7. YAZDI THEN SAID THAT THE CLOSING DOWN OF THE AIRPORTS REPRESENTED A VERY SENSITIVE SITUATION. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE COME TO TEHRAN TO WELCOME THE AYATOLLAH. SINCE BAKHTIAR HAS SAID IN THE PAST THAT THE AYATOLLAH CAN COME TO IRAN ANYTIME HE WISHES AND SINCE THERE ARE PROBLEMS INSIDE WHICH COULD BE SOLVED ONLY IF HE GOES BACK, PREVENTING HIS RETURN TO IRAN HAS CREATED A "VERY EXPLOSIVE SITUATION; WE MAY HAVE A PROBLEM IN CONTROLLING THE TEMPER OF THE MILLIONS WHO HAVE POURED INTO TEHRAN." 8. ZIMMERMANN WKED YAZDI ABOUT KHOMEINI'S TRAVEL PLANS. YAZDI SAID THAT THE THREE-DAY AIRPORT CLOSURE ENDS SATURDAY AT MIDNIGHT, AND KHOMEINI HAD PLANNED TO DEPART PARIS AT 11:00 PM PARIS TIME SATURDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER, THE IRANIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE REFUSED LANDING PERMISSION SUNDAY MORNINGFOR THE AIR FRANCE CHARTER FLIGHT; APPARENTLY THEY WANT TO EXTEND THE CLOSING DOWN OF THE AIRPORTS. "WE WILL THEREFORE SUSPEND OUR PLAN. I DON'T KNOW YET WHAT THE AYATOLLAH WILL DECIDE. IF THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THAT THE AIRPORTS SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 PARIS 02949 02 OF 03 271422Z ARE CLOSED FOR ANOTHER THREE DAYS WE WILL WAIT FOR ANOTHER THREE DAYS." (COMMENT: ZIMMERMANN WAS STRUCK BY THE CONTRAST BETWEEN YAZDI'S RELATIVELY RELAXED TONE HERE AND THE MORE OMINOUS TONE OF THE KHOMEINI SECRET NNN SECRET PAGE 01 PARIS 02949 03 OF 03 271424Z ACTION NODS-00 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 /001 W ------------------093634 271430Z /44 Z 271303Z JAN 79 ZFF 4 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO SECSTATE WASHDC FLASH 4023 S E C R E T SECTION 03 OF 03 PARIS 02949 NODIS CHEROKEE STADIS//////////////////// MESSAGE.) 9. YAZDI THEN VOLUNTEERED THAT KHOMEINI'S PEOPLE ARE IN CONTACT WITH BAKHTIAR AND THE ARMY LEADERSHIP. BAKHTIAR SENT A LETTER WITH HIS ENVOY TO PARIS; THE AYATOLLAH DID NOT ACCEPT THE ENVOY BUT DID RECEIVE THE LETTER. IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANYTHING NEW, ASKING ONLY THAT THE AYATOLLAH DELAY HIS RETURN TO IRAN. ZIMMERMAN ASKED: HOW LONG A DELAY? YAZDI SAID THE DELAY WAS UNSPECIFIED. 10. YAZDI THEN WENT ON THAT "OUR PEOPLE" HAVE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM IN THE PRESENT CRISIS AND HAVE SUGGESTED A FORMULA TO BAKHTIAR. THIS FORMULA IS THAT BAKHTIAR EITHER COME TO PARIS OR BE PRESENT AT AIRPORT WHEN KOHEMEINI RETURNS AND SUBMIT HIS RESIGNATION TO KOHMEINI. KOMEINI WILL THEN AGREE TO RE-APPOINT HIM AS A MEMBER OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT IMMEDIATELY. "THIS, WE BELIEVE, WILL BE OF BENEFIT TO ALL PARTIES INVOLVED AND WILL ALSO GIVE A CHANCE TO BAKHTIAR TO GAIN BACK HIS POPULARITY AND POLITICAL DIGNITY AND BRING ALSO THE UNITY NECESSARY FOR THE FUTURE STABILITY OF IRAN. WE THINK THAT THIS IS A TREMENDOUS CONCESSION THAT OUR PEOPLE IN IRAN HAVE MADE." YAZDI ADDED THAT BAZARGAN SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 PARIS 02949 03 OF 03 271424Z AND BEHESHTI HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AND ARE KHOMEINI'S AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES TO CONDUCT THE NEGOTIATIONS. 11. BEFORE YAZDI GAVE THE KHOMEINI MESSAGE TO ZIMMERMANN, ZIMMERMANN GAVE YAZDI A TEXT OF PRESIDENT CARTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT JANUARY 26 THAT POLITICAL CHANGE SHOULD BE CONDUCTED IN AN ORDERLY FASHION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IRANIAN CONSTITUTION. YAZDI ASKED IF WE COULD CONFIRM THAT 200,000 BARRELS OF OIL WERE BEING SHIPPED TO IRAN. ZIMMERMANN CONFIRMED IT, THEN NOTED THAT PRESIDENT CARTER HAD MADE CLEAR THAT THE SHIPMENT WAS INTENDED TO ENSURE ENERGY Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 SUPPLIES FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE. CHAPMAN SECRET NNN Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014