CONFIDENTIAL
ACTION
8 Jan 79 99 59z
00413
(illegible text) ESA625BRA758
OO RUQMHR
DE RUEHC 4310 0080021
O 080016S JAN 79
FW SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY TEHRAN IMMEDIATE 9352
BT
CONFIDENTIAL STATE 004510
E.O.112065 GDS, 1-7-85, (PRECHT, HENRY)
TAGS: PINS, IR
SUBJECT: FURTHER REPORT OF RICHARD COTTAM
REF: TEHRAN 0(illegible text)366
ACTION
POL 3
INFO
AMB
DCM
PM
ECON 2
ADM
ICA
OR
CRU 2 M R
1. DEP OFF CALLED COTTAM JAUNARY 7 FOR REPORT TO SUPPLEMENT REFTEL. COTTAM STRESSED THAT GROUP AROUND KHOMEINI AND OPPOSITIONISTS IN TEHRAN WERE FEARFUL OF A MILITARY COUP WHICH WOULD LEAD TO BLOODY REPRESSION. HE SAID THAT IN HIS FINAL DAYS IN TEHRAN, JANUARY 2-3, OPPOSITIONISTS WERE QUITE DEFINITE IN THEIR INFORMATION ABOUT A COUP. THEY HAD NAMES OF SIX GENERALS, INCLUDING OVEISSI, RABII. AND KHOSROWDAD PLUS THREE OTHERS COTTAM COULDN'T REMEMBER WHO WERE THE PRINCIPAL MILIATRY LEADERS. COUP PLANS BEING DRAWN UP IN A BUILDING OWNED BY "RESEARCH CORPORATION" ON SHAH ABBAS AVENUE. ACCORDING TO THE OPPOSITION, THE PLANNERS HAD DIVIDED TEHRAN INTO SIX DISTRICTS EACH UNDER A GENERAL OFFICER. ARRESTS AND APPLICATION OF STRICT MILITARY CONTROLS WOULD BE SET IN MOTION AT A GIVEN SIGNAL. MANY IN THE OPPOSITION FEARED THE U.S. WOULD BACK SUSCH A COUP.
2. DESPITE HATRED FOR U.S. AMONG THE GENERAL POPULATION, COTTAM FOUND KHOMEINI'S CIRCLE AND OPPOSITIONISTS IN TEHRAN READY TO THINK IN SOPHISTICATED TERMS ABOUT FUTURE RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. HE DESCRIBED THEM AS AFRAID OF THE SOVIET UNION AND DESIRIOUS OF RELYING ON THE U.S. FOR IRAN'S DEFENSE. THEY DID NOT WANT A FORMAL DEFENSIVE RELATIONSHIP BUT DID WANT U.S. BACKING AGAINST THE SOCIET THREAT. KHOMEINI'S FOLLOWERS THOUGHT MOSCOW WOULD BE GREATLY DISTURBED BY A GOVERNMENT IN IRAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHO MIGHT EXERCISE INFLUENCE BEYOND IRAN'S BORDERS, INCLUDING AMONG SOVIET MOSLEMS.
