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US names iran chief terror { May 21 2002 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
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US names Iran as chief sponsor of terror
By Richard Wolffe in Washington
Published: May 21 2002 21:42 | Last Updated: May 21 2002 21:42
The Bush administration accused Iran on Tuesday of being "the most active state sponsor of terrorism" while offering modest praise to Libya and Sudan for reducing their support for international terrorists.
In its annual report on global terrorism, the US state department said Iran had supplied Lebanese and Palestinian groups with arms, training and finance to attack Israel.
The report, which was released on Tuesday, underscores how Iran has risen to the top of Washington's list of rogue states supporting terrorism and developing weapons of mass destruction. It follows President George W. Bush's controversial condemnation of Iran in January as one of three nations constituting "an axis of evil".
It also highlights how the US has diverged from its main European allies, who favour greater dialogue, over how to engage with Tehran and encourage the process of reform in Iran. White House officials say that Iran will feature prominently in talks between Mr Bush and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this week. Russia is constructing nuclear plants in Iran and supplying the country with conventional weapons.
The state department said that, while there was no evidence that Iran had sponsored the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, it remained a powerful force in international terror. "Although some within Iran would like to end this support, hardliners who hold the reins of power continue to thwart any efforts to moderate these policies," the report said.
Alongside Iran, the US named Cuba, Libya, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan and Syria as its list of state sponsors of terrorism for the eighth year running.
While the report describes 2001 as the worst year in terms of deaths caused by terrorism, it also depicts an improving trend in the number of attacks, down by 19 per cent to 346.
"Sudan and Libya seem closest to understanding what they must do to get out of the terrorism business and each has taken measures pointing it in the right direction," the report said.
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