European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Iran feeling the ravages of War by Jack Reed United press International he former Royal Hilton Hole was still using Shoeshine towels irom the Days of the Shah Las i week but the hotel staff had crossed of the Roya on each one wild a pen likewise from its american made jets and ships to the ail i pumps abroad. Iran seems to be making do seven years into its Billr War with Iraq Bui beneath the surface important indicators showed thai revolutionary Itan is ailing with Cash Short spare parts missing inflation soaring and construe lion at a standstill the Price o1 the War has gone up steeply at Tehran Airport where the War began with an iraqi nit attack an sop i 22, 1980, there Are Low traces of a nation at Bailie other than the occasional military Ifa sport plane Laking off Only one building is reinforced Wilri sandbags. Downtown the bazaars air crowded with shoppers on the weekends in the upper class Northern sections of Tehran to leadership s preoccupation with the Gulf War has actually helped women opposed to the regime s Radical Isla Bizalion residents said Many have Laken to raising Iho hemlines of the Bulky Muslim garb revealing tight Blue joans. High heels and Black blocking even makeup considered absolutely in islamic is now openly worn by the women of North Tehran. It s Only been Ailo cd to happen it in fasl couple of months Ono armenian Christian woman said "01 course in used to always to Inal Way Tehran was like Europe before " today the Mart Tets Are full of goods that lower can buy As inflation officially less than 15 percent but believed to be Between 40 and 50 percent Over the past Yea lips through the Economy. A pack of Marlboro costs $15 on the Black Market which has become Tho Peoples banker. Officially the Rato of Exchange is 70 rials to the Dollar but on the Street a Dollar brings 1,000 rials. The government has deployed 5.000 Price inspectors and officials have announced plans to Field 7,000 More to Check hoarding unauthorized Price increases on essential rationing has been implemented to control the Supply of essentials including milk eggs sugar cheese meal soap shampoo and gasoline. Allocations Enville each Ianuly member to Only i1/ pounds of meal a month bul residents say it often lakes the in lire month to secure even that. According to a recent speech by parliament member Hojdalo islam Naadi More than 70 percent of Iran s 48 million people Are suffering As the result of Price increases with 12 million of them regarded As deprived and 22 million badly vulnerable to further increases. Dozens of buildings St Hall finished in the capital their construction hailed of inc revolution s Onset with few signs of their Ever being completed other cities show inc a flecks of the War tar More vividly. In Tabriz bombed by iraqi jets there arc Lac omra Iler containers reinforced with sandbags for use As emergency bomb shelters and camouflaged fuel tankers at us Airport. Iran s soldiers appear poorly equipped. At the Dopa Heights which is under iranian occupation just inside Iraq Many of them were wearing sandals recently. We see it As an endless War said a member of Iran s Only Legal opposition parly. The Freedom movement of Iran. Even though Iraq is the aggressor and an enemy of Iran the War must be a taxi Driver in Tehran poking a the Skyline of an new Kwh Trina Fioto unfinished building said we could finish i Hose bul inc War is too expensive " sadness said a Tehran shipowner nodding toward a crowd wailing of hide in the Ane noon Sun o buy a fistful of cigarettes from him you can read it on their laces. Tho War has Benn bad for us " despite such evident strains however. A Yaiulla re Atollah Khomeini has managed to escape1 Lii my to the War and mismanagement of Iho Economy the people believe the govern Mon has let them Down by mismanagement but Khomeini in s a god to the people said one resident to Tehran there Are constant reminders of a revolution at work from a Down Ullh Tho Usa Banner in the lobby of Iho former hotel to cartoons of British prime Minisoi fair Jarol Thatcher being chased by missiles pointed on Highway barricades at 88, Khomeini remains firmly on top. Still capable of whipping up Tho islamic hysteria that lop Pond Iho Shah and resumed him from exile. But while Khomeini has the ill hence to hold together Trio moderate and Hartline political factions diplomats said he is playing a diminishing Rolo in policy making. The longer to War goes on Wilhour crippling Iran Many analysts believe the greater the influence of Iho fanatical revolutionary guards who have been carrying Iho weight of Iran s Walor Bome guerrilla War by throwing their speedboats into Baltic against supertanker in the Gulf and have announced they Are rebuilding the army along their political lines with More than 60 percent of its Oil exports fueling the War Effort and a third Oline nation s factories shut Down Iran is desperately Short of Cash diplomats in Ilia Region say. The Lack of Cash reserves has Lell raw materials and spare parts in Shor Supply. Joint cons True lion of a huge petrochemical Complex Wilh Japan has been suspended since 1984. Fewer than half Iho factories soil open Are operating Al Lull capacity Tho majority of businesses me isl hanging in Iacre. Barely said a foreign in tour Arr. Nobody s making any Money or jul no j it s Cly a matter of even senior government of Lionial i acknowledged Ifil War damaging a Fleck on inc . And there have been strident debates in inc a jigs or parliament Over a sleep devaluation of the rial and measures to punish Prico gouges and Specula Lois we have to accept that this is a very Sensitivo said Hossein Musavi inc militant prime minister. We have shortcomings bul considering the existing Silva lion the War the revolution 1 think it s an acceptable so desperate was in for Cash in july diplomats said Iran pumped As much As 25 million barrels of Oil through the Gulf Selling some for As Little As $ 16 a barrel which exceeded its daily exports by 700,000 harness and undermined open Price Selling despite a strained Economy and heavy casualties in the War the iranian revolution the National resolve to crush the iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein and resistance to pressures Tor a settlement a of Kepi alive on Iho Nom front. 1 the nations of the world have closed their eyes to the Saddam regime said Habib Hossini 27, an economics student now commanding a Volunteer brigade on the Northwest front we will continue this fighting i will accept no Compromise we have put Saddam Al risk America knows thai and Saddam knows Hal Iran s ability to carry on the War could tic stopped within four weeks of a successful armr embargo Tehran based diplomats and businessmen and Gull shipping sources asserted but the chances of Iha world s arms dealers agreeing to one appear Remote in the meantime the War grinds on Iran lion find without they re moving Loward a More Wol ipod position.1 said one Diplomat As the position of Complete Iso Lahon becomes More Wor Niome me i imps the can fake become less predictable despite the War i toppers Hill crowd the Bataan in downtown Tehran. However fewer can afford he goods at the Market As inflation has driven up prices. Ember 13.1987 the stars and stripes Page 15
