Things are getting nasty in Iran (well, even nastier). The president of the country has put out this statement:

President Mohammad Khatami has called for serious action against those behind a spate of recent attacks on election campaigns, which have left at least one official with cuts and bruises. In his cabinet meeting late Sunday, Khatami called for 'swift investigation into electoral violations as well as identification and severe punishment of those behind recent disturbance of certain functions and speech meetings'.

The president asked the Interior Ministry and the intelligence apparatus to 'take maximum care that the violators are duly dealt with and those behind illegitimate and illegal measures against candidates and distribution of insulting night letters are seriously confronted'.

It's taken a full generation, but Iran's leadership has finally forgotten one of the main reasons they kicked the shah out of the country.