US Accuses Iran Over Terror

May 21, 2002

Iran has reportedly increased support for militant groups

The US State Department says Iran remains the foremost supporter of terrorism in the world.

In its annual report to Congress, the State Department lists Iran, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, North Korea, Cuba and Syria as sponsors of terrorism for the eighth year running.

But, it says, Sudan and Libya have made some progress towards distancing themselves from terrorist groups.

The study found that 2001 was the worst year on record for acts of terror, claiming more than three and a half thousand lives, mainly from the attacks on the World Trade Center.

The annual Patterns of Global Terrorism report called the 11 September suicide-hijackings "the worst international terrorist attack ever", killing nationals from more than 78 countries.

Middle East terror

The report said that while Iran had reduced its involvement in some areas of terrorist activity, its support for militant groups opposed to Israel had intensified.

Iran continued to supply training, weapons and money to radical Palestinian groups and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the study found.

It said state sponsored terrorism was active across the West Bank and Gaza.

The state department said Iraq and Syria also supported terrorist groups fighting Israel.

It said counter-terrorism by the Palestinian Authority "remained sporadic", noting that security co-operation between Israel and the Palestinians had broken down following the Palestinian uprising.

The report said that while some of the seven blacklisted countries had taken steps to "get out of the [terrorism] business" none had fully removed themselves from involvement in terrorist activities.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_2000000/2000794.stm