Khatami Warns Hard0liners in Iran New Year Message

Iran's embattled President Mohammad Khatami warned his hard-line opponents Tuesday they faced an "ill-fated" future for ignoring popular demand for reforms. In a pensive Iranian New Year address, interspersed with classical Persian poetry, Khatami described his four years in office as arduous -- in reference to his uphill battle against hard-liners to implement an Islamic democracy in Iran. The president is nearing the end of his term, but is yet to announce his intention to seek re-election in June polls. "Our people demand security along with freedom, pluralism along with piety," Khatami said. Hard-liners, who dominate the armed forces and security services as well as the judiciary, have all but suppressed Khatami's social and political reforms, launched after his 1997landslide election. Many reformist activists, including top allies of the president, have been imprisoned and dozens of independent newspapers have been banned.