Tornado Alley (PROG)

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1997 Khatami elected in landslide win

In May 1997, Iranians go to the polls in droves to cast their ballots in the presidential election. Nearly 80 percent of eligible voters participate, and fully 70 percent of them vote for Mohammad Khatami, the moderate cleric and former minister of culture and Islamic guidance. His victory stuns the clerical establishment, whose own candidate, Speaker of Parliament Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, was considered the inevitable winner. A longtime advocate for press freedom and individual liberties, Khatami promises to restore the rule of law to Iran.

In the U.S., President Clinton calls Khatami's election a "hopeful sign," but repeats his previous position that relations between the U.S. and Iran cannot be restored until Iran denounces terrorism, ceases opposition to U.S.-led Middle East peace efforts, and stops seeking nuclear weapons.

In August of 1997, Supreme Leader Khamenei confirms Khatami as the fifth president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

1998 Khatami, Albright signal a warming of relations

In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour in January, Khatami proposes cultural exchanges between the U.S. and Iran in order to "crack the wall of mistrust." However, he dismisses the need for official government-to-government dialogue.

In June, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright invites Iranians to join with the U.S. to draw up a "road map leading to normal relations."

February 1999 Reformers win in municipal elections

The same month that the Islamic Republic celebrates its 20th anniversary, Iranians go to the polls to fill 190,000 vacancies in city councils and other municipal offices across the country. As expected, reformist candidates win nationwide, overwhelmingly, and secure 12 of the 15 seats in Tehran alone.

March 1999 Khatami visits Italy

Khatami visits Italy in March, the first trip to a Western country by an Iranian leader in two decades.

July 1999 Student demonstrations lead to widespread unrest; U.S. eases sanctions

Responding to the closing of a popular reformist newspaper and a law proposed by Parliament that would limit press freedom, students stage six days of demonstrations across the country in July. The students clash with hard-liners and the police, and the violence escalates. There are reports of widespread police brutality against the students. More than 1,000 people are arrested in the worst unrest since the revolution.

That same month, the U.S. eases sanctions and allows American companies to sell food and medical items to three countries that the U.S. State Department has branded as state supporters of terrorism -- Iran, Libya, and Sudan.

October 1999 Popular reformer imprisoned

Just months in advance of the parliamentary elections, the Special Clerical Court -- a tribunal that tries clerics for crimes against the Islamic Republic -- charges Abdullah Nouri with spreading anti-Islamic propaganda. A former Interior minister, Nouri is one of the country's leading reformers and a key Khatami ally. The trial captivates the nation. He is subsequently sentenced to five years in prison.

February 2000 Reformers take control of Parliament

In the wake of Nouri's trial, the 2000 parliamentary elections are held, the sixth since the Republic's founding. More than 5,000 people declare their candidacy for the 290 seats. When the elections are held in mid-February, voter turnout is, once again, overwhelming: 70 percent of qualified voters cast their ballots. Reformist candidates rout the conservatives, claiming 70 percent of the seats. Former President Rafsanjani finishes a humiliating 30th in Tehran, barely capturing the last of the city's seats in Parliament. (He subsequently relinquishes his seat.)

Only 14 percent of the new deputies in Parliament are clerics. In 1980, they comprised more than half of the first Parliament. It marks the first time that the reformists win an absolute majority of seats in Parliament. Two of the three branches of government -- the executive and legislative -- are controlled by reformists.

March 2000 U.S. acknowledges role in 1953 coup

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright acknowledges the U.S. role in the 1953 coup that overthrew Mossadeq, but stops short of an apology. The U.S. lifts sanctions on Iranian luxury goods.

May 2000 World Bank approves loans to Iran

Over U.S. objections, the World Bank approves its first loans to Iran in seven years.

June 2000 Report faults Clinton administration on Khobar investigation

The National Commission on Terrorism releases a report that says the Clinton administration had not acted aggressively enough and did not place enough diplomatic pressure on Iran to force its leaders to cooperate in the investigation of the Khobar Towers bombing.

April 2001 Saudi Arabia, Iran sign security agreement

Saudi Arabia and Iran sign a security agreement, signaling a thaw in relations between Iran and other Arab countries that suspect it of fomenting Shiite dissent.

June 2001 Khatami reelected

On June 8, Khatami wins the presidential election by a landslide, securing nearly 80 percent of the popular vote. His dominating victory adds to the credibility of the reform movement and raises expectations.

A showdown between Supreme Leader Khamenei and Parliament delays Khatami's inauguration. In August, three days later than originally scheduled, Khatami is finally inaugurated. The New York Times describes his inaugural address as "assertive." He acknowledges, briefly, the previous years' setbacks for the reform movement, and tries to stay above the political fray. "I will not paint my critics and opponents as those opposed to Islam, the revolution, freedom, or people," Khatami said, "but will value their lawful presence, and will respect them and avoid insulting their dignity."

more .. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tehran/etc/cron.html

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