ASSASSINATION/KIDNAP PLOT AGAINST SHAH REVEALED

UNCLAS TEHRAN 7005 Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005 E.O. 11652: N/A TAGS: PINS IR SUBJECT: ASSASSINATION/KIDNAP PLOT AGAINST SHAH REVEALED SUMMARY: GOI ANNOUNCED TODAY ARREST OF TWELVE PERSONS INCLUDING TWO WOMEN FOR PLOTTING TO KIDNAP OR KILL SHAH, EMPRESS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF IMPERIAL FAMILY. PLOTTERS SAID TO BELONG TO WING OF OUTLAWED TUDEH (COMMUNIST) PARTY AND ARE SAID TO HAVE MADE CONFESSIONS. END SUMMARY. ¶1. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION ANNOUNCED OCTOBER 2 THE ARREST OF TWELVE PERSONS INCLUDING TWO WOMEN ON CHARGES OF PLOTTING TO KIDNAP OR KILL MEMBERS OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY. ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT, GROUP, WHICH INCLUDED FILMMAKERS, CAMERAMEN AND NEWSPAPERMEN, HAD RECONNOITERED SHAH'S CASPIAN PALACE AT NOWSHAHR AS WELL AS RESIDENCE OF HIM'S YOUNGER SISTER PRINCESS FATEMEH. PLAN WAS TO KILL SHAH, EMPRESS, CROWN PRINCE AND POSSIBLY OTHERS, PERHAPS INCLUDING UNNAMED FOREIGN AMBASSADOR, OBTAIN AN AIRLINER TO FLEE COUNTRY WITH HOSTAGES AND DEMAND RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS, THREATENING DEATH TO ROYAL FAMILY IF DEMANDS REFUSED. SHAH'S FORMER SON-IN-LAW AND PRESENT IRANIAN AMBASSADOR TO US ARDESHIR ZAHEDI AND HIM'S GRANDDAUGHTER MAHNAZ ALSO REPORTEDLY TARGETED. ¶2. SECURITY AUTHORITIES ANNOUNCED THAT QUATITIES OF FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES WERE SEIZED AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP HAVE BEEN CAPTURED. INTERESTINGLY, ONE OF PLOTTERS WAS MANOUCHEHR MOGHADAM-SALIMI, WHO WAS SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR HIS PART IN ATTEMPT ON SHAH'S LIFE AT MARBLE PALACE IN 1965. ONE OF TWO WOMEN INVOLVED WAS MARYAM ETEHADIEH (MEMBER OF WELL-KNOWN MERCANTILE FAMILY AND NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEE) WHO PROVIDED DATA ON MOVEMENTS OF PRINCESS MAHNAZ. SECOND WOMAN WAS SHOUKOUH FARHANG (NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEE),WHO JOINED WITH HUSBAND EBRAHIM FARHANG-RAZI (COMMERCIAL COMPANY EMPLOYEE). OTHERS INCLUDED MORTEZA SIAPOUSHI (NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEE) AND FARHAD QEYSARI. ¶3. PLOTTERS REPORTEDLY MEMBERS OF OUTLAWED TUDEH (COMMUNIST) PARTY AND ARE SAID TO HAVE CONFESSED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TO PLANNING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON EMPRESS FARAH OR OTHER MEMBER OF IMPERIAL FAMILY AT CHILDREN'S FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS MONTH. A MAJOR FIGURE IN THIS PORTION OF PLOT WAS REZA ALAMEZADEH, A CANDIDATE FOR PRIZE FOR YEAR'S BEST CHILDREN'S FILM. OTHERS INCLUDED ABBAS ALI SAMAKAR, TEYFOUR BATHAII (FILMMAKERS), RAHMATOLLAH IRAJ JAMSHIDI (REPORTER),AND KERAMATALLAH DANESHIAN (CONSTRUCTION COMPANY EMPLOYEE). PLAN CALLED FOR ALAMEZADEH AND SAMAKAR TO GO ARMED TO PRIZEGIVING CEREMONY AND MAKE ASSAULT AT MOMENT OF PRESENTATION. OTHER THREE TOBE PRESENT AT CEREMONY, ALSO ARMED, TO PROVIDE DEVERSION IF NECESSARY. COMMENT: NO INDICATION OF DATE ARREST TOOK PLACE. WILL REPORT FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS. HELMS Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005 NNN