Reform with Tears

With a flourish of dire warnings, stern homilies and inspired publicity, Dr. Ali Amini last week entered into his second precarious month as Premier of Iran.

Caviar & Hairdos. To wealthy Iranians with little stomach for austerity, he cried, "If my government falls, then everyone's life will be in danger. You and you and you." Dr. Amini stepped on sensitive toes by closing Teheran's glittering $9,000,000 airport to all foreign-bound Iranians except those traveling on bona fide business. First casualties were a bevy of Teheran socialites who were sent home in tears. Unmoved, Amini snapped: "Some ladies have been in the habit of going to Paris for hairdos." He slashed imports to save $50 million, arguing that once foreign luxuries were eliminated, "the major cause of husband-wife disputes leading to the divorce court will be removed."

Some 500 government employees who have been drawing pay from several simultaneous jobs lost their sinecures. Chief sufferer: the chancellor of Shiraz University, who reportedly held twelve other high-salaried posts. Amini even dared to attack Ehsan Davaloo, Iran's caviar queen and intimate friend of short-tempered Princess Ashraf, twin sister of the Shah. Mrs. Davaloo was arrested and charged with having got her $450,000-a-year caviar concession by bribing officials.

Jeeping General. Just 24 hours before the start of nationwide strikes and demonstrations ordered by the powerful, left-wing National Front, nimble Premier Amini held a 90-minute conference with Front leaders, warned that 1) the Front was heavily infiltrated by Communist students and oil workers, and 2) should his government be brought down, it would be replaced by a military dictatorship headed by tough General Teymour Bakhtiar and supported by landlords and mullahs (Moslem religious leaders). General Bakhtiar makes no secret of his willingness, should the Shah call on him, to replace Amini's reformist program with simple repression. Last week the general was Jeeping through the mountainous interior of Iran, renewing old friendships with his clansmen in the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe, who can supply him with clouds of hard-fighting horsemen, if needed.

On second thought, the National Fronters canceled the scheduled protest strikes. In turn, Amini promised them national elections just as soon as voters can be issued new identity cards to replace the dog-eared old ones which, in past rigged elections, enabled the dead to vote at least once and the living several times in different constituencies.

Premier Amini also raised his voice loud enough to be heard in Washington. The sum of $40 million was needed instantly to stave off bankruptcy and collapse. In the past ten years, the U.S. has sunk more than a billion dollars into Iran in economic and military aid, but Washington will undoubtedly dig deep enough once more at least to keep Amini afloat.

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