The World - News from Jan. 14, 1988

The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was portrayed in an influential Soviet publication as a ruthless dictator seeking to increase his personal power without regard for the people of Iran. An article in the Literary Gazette said he allowed 12-year-olds to enlist as front-line soldiers in the war with Iraq after declaring that the supreme honor is to die for Islam. The article was written by Igor Beylaev, an expert on Middle East affairs with ties to the Communist Party Central Committee. It follows a similar article by the Tass news agency. Together, they seemed to signal a substantial hardening of Moscow’s attitude toward Iran after months of Soviet efforts to bring an end to the Iran-Iraq War.