TEHRAN -- The Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, in a meeting with Intelligence Minister Ali Younesi and a group of the ministry's top officials stressed that "the nation's intelligence system must try to neutralize the enemy's plans in political, economic, social, and cultural fields."

"Bearing in mind that the nation's intelligence system was created with totally revolutionary and healthy motives, the faithful personnel of the Intelligence Ministry, in spite of all the difficulties and the problems inherent in their job, have rendered a valuable service to Islam, the revolution, and Iran," the Leader told his audience here yesterday.

Ayatollah Khamenie called the "enmity of revolution's enemies with the Ministry of Intelligence serious, and deep-rooted," adding: "All officials, from the rank-and-file to the highest levels of the ministry, must, with utmost vigilance, and through strengthening their relationship with the almighty God and avoiding any deviation and corruption, block the fulfillment of the enemy's aims," the Leader exhorted. Praising the ministry for its efforts in various arena, including fighting corruption, Ayatollah Khamenie said: "It may seem at the first glance that economic or cultural activities have nothing to do with the ministry, but in fact, the Intelligence Ministry must be active in all fields which the enemy is pursuing its aims in, and by discovering and understanding the enemies' complex political, economic, social and cultural plots, find ways to block such efforts." "The powers of world arrogance has clearly recognized that it can not effectively harm the Islam's system except by promoting erroneous and deviant thoughts, and unfortunately, some terrified, deviant, or Western-oriented people and movements are helping them in their path and plans, and the Intelligence Ministry must also confront this enemy plot with vigilance, precision, and tact." The Leader also stressed that "The Intelligence Ministry must be extra cautious to avoid its work being affected by factional or political considerations, and all efforts of the ministry must at all times comply with the law and religious edicts and the Intelligence Ministry must appear as a role model for the preservation of the fundamental tenets of the Islamic Republic and the ideals of our revolution."