The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Volume XIV, Number 21
Charlotte, North Carolina
January 29, 1979
"Story Behind the Headlines" — Iran
By Nancy Davis
“Tell your friends to support the
people of Iran and not the generals of
Iran.”
Don Luce, noted reporter and
leader in human rights issues brought
this message from political prisoners
he had talked to recently in Iran.
Speaking before some 200 students,
faculty and members of the Charlotte
community. Luce and Pari Sabety, an
expert in Iran and U.S. policy, had
much to say about the situation in
Iran. The symposium, “Iran—The
Story Behind the Headlines” was
sponsored by the Center for Interna
tional Studies at UNCC.
Sabety spoke first on U.S. policy in
Iran, and the reasons Iran is so impor
tant to the United States. She noted
only five percent of the oil used by the
United States came from Iran, but
because of the large percentages of
Iranian exported oil used by other
countries (90 percent of Japan's and
South Africa's supply), relations with
this middle eastern country were im
portant.
Its location in the Persian Gulf is
also a reason for importance to the
U.S. According to Sabety, “Iran is a
buffer zone” in regards to possible
Soviet encroachment and causes
stability in the Persian Gulf.
Military involvement in Iran was
Sabety’s main concern with the pre
sent United States policy. “25 per
cent of the weapons that leave the
U.S. go to Iran," Sabety said. She
also raised the question of Iran’s own
ability to produce weapons, citing
American corporations working on
military contracts in Tehran, the
capitol of Iran.
Besides these “white collar
mercenaries” as Sabety called them,
there are Americans operating most
of Iran’s communications and in
telligence activities. “So on day-to-
day activities, we have already in
tervened ... there are as many
military advisors in Iran as there was
in South Vietnam in 1965.
“There are 185 military assistance
groups, 900 technical instruction
teams and 10-20,000 Americans
working with corporations on
military contracts.
“Iran is at war,” Sabety said
strongly. “At war with the people.
And there are few signs we’re on the
way of leaving anytime soon.”
Dealing specifically with Carter’s
policy, Sabety said despite his human
rights rhetoric "the President had
sidestepped the real problems in Iran.
She told the audience the reason for
the work Carter has put into suppor
ting this regime was the belief the
Shah would continue to have things
under his control. Even with the Shah
exiled out of the country, he is still in
Hmbo, awaiting plans for an indefinite
'vacation.’ ”
Sabety expressed fears of what the
civilian and military presence in Iran
meant. She said America was assum
ing “if you ship enough arms, it will
remain stable . . . this is a paramount
example of the failure of that.”
Human Rights
Luce, in Iran only last week, began
his lecture by asking, “What is it like
to be in Iran now?” He said, for the
most part, the people of Iran are not
as angry with Americans as the
media presents them as being. “They
really want Americans to know
what’s going on in their country.”
During the past year, Luce has
traveled throughout Iran, talking to
the people and visiting the prisons.
He spoke to a prisoner who had been
in jail for more than five years for
writing on a wall, “Down with the
Shah.” There was another prisoner
who had spent eight years in jail so
far for reading a “Marxist” book.
Luce said, most of the prisoners
didn’t know why they were in jail.
They were mostly student leaders and
other youths who had spoken out
against the Shah in some way. He
also said some were students who,
while studying in America, had not
supported the Shah’s regime.
The prisoners showed Luce their
feet, which he said was just “a mass of
scar tissue. I’ve never seen any
evidence of torture as brutal as this.”
Luce expressed the fear of what will
happen if the Iranians are continued
to be treated like this. So far, he said,
there have only been peaceful
demonstrations with no use of arms.
But Luce is far more concerned with
(Photo by Sophia Koinis)
Don Luce told UNCC students what he knew concerning Iran and the story
behind the headlines.
the “brutal war’’ that could follow if
Iranians decide to use sub
machineguns themselves.
Many Americans believe the anger
towards the Shah by Iranians is
because of his efforts for moderniza
tion. According to Luce, the revolt
was not because of modernization but
was because of militarization. He also
feels this is the reason for Ayatollah
Khomeini’s popularity, the exiled
religious leader, scheduled to return
to Iran as soon as the airports open
again.
Khomeini wants to use the money
from the sale of oil to develop the
land. The money is presently being
used to produce more oil, a resource
which may be drained by the year
2000. Iran, a country which for years
sufficiently produced its own food, is
now, according to Luce, importing
one-half of their food needs.
Luce finished his lecture by outlin
ing four things he feels America
should do in Iran.
(l)The U.S. should stop interfering
. . . let the Iranian people decide what
kind of government they want.
(2) Withdraw military and CIA per
sonnel. I don’t believe we have any
right to advise Iranians how to kill
other Iranians.
(3) End arms sales.
(4) Change U.S. ambassadors.
Sullivan is closely related to military
and intelligence operations.