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The former President blamed Khomeini, who was once his mentor, for "the appalling disaster that has befallen the country. Said Banisadr: "We must try to find a quicker way of overthrowing the absolutists who lust after power only." The remarks upset French officials, who reminded Banisadr of the terms of his exile and forced him to cancel a press conference.
Banisadr's sudden escape stunned many diehard supporters, some of whom expressed a sense of betrayal after his earlier vows to stay and fight what he called "the new despotism."
Other Iranians in exile scorned the idea of joining him in a united front against Khomeini. In particular, Banisadr was spurned by Shapour Bakhtiar, the last Prime Minister appointed by the Shah, who had also taken refuge in Paris. Bakhtiar argued, correctly, that Banisadr had helped build the Islamic Republic of Iran. Said the former Prime Minister: "What is happening to Banisadr is a direct result of what he himself created."
But Banisadr is depending for most of his support on the Mujahedin, who spent years battling the Shah's secret police. More to the point, the Mujahedin want a modern Islamic state, a fact that undercuts the appeal of the mullahs and their obsession with the past. The guerrillas are estimated to have as many as 100,000 people under arms, with several hundred thousand additional sympathizers. The clerics have accused the Mujahedin of a rash of devastating bombings, including the June 28 explosion at Islamic Republic Party headquarters that may have killed as many as 150 people.
Mujahedin Leader Rajavi protected Banisadr by shuffling him among four guerrilla "safe houses" while he was in hiding. The two men cemented their alliance during long talks in their hideaways. They saw their strengths as complementary: Banisadr offering legitimacy as an elected President with broad popularity; Rajavi supplying military firepower and a keenly disciplined organization.
To fool the Islamic Guards, Khomeini's vigilantes, the Mujahedin spread rumors that Banisadr was hiding in Kurdistan. Actually, Banisadr spent the entire time in Tehran. He was able to move around the capital, not exactly at will but frequently, sometimes in a small car, sometimes in taxis. He wore no disguises, although he did give up his glasses, and only shaved his mustache for his escape. Occasionally, he was recognized, but no one reported him to the police. Most of the time, however, he traveled without attracting any attention.
Banisadr heard the radio coverage of his impeachment proceedings and later sent an appeal to Khomeini. Said Banisadr: "It was a race between bombings and executions.
I tried to persuade Khomeini to stop the executions so I could ask the people to stop the bombings. The executions did not stop, and neither did the bombings."
Banisadr has named Rajavi as Prime Minister of his government in exile and authorized him to form a "national resistance council" that would serve as a government-in-waiting for the day when the mullahs may be swept from power.