ACCESSION
NUMBER:354037
FILE ID:TXT501
DATE:07/22/94
TITLE:G-7 CALLS FOR HALT TO IRANIAN TERRORISM (07/22/94)
TEXT:*94072201.TXT
1-7 CALLS FOR HALT TO IRANIAN TERRORISM
(VOA Editorial) (330)
(Following is an editorial, broadcast by the Voice of America July 22,
reflecting the views of the U.S. government.)
At the Group of Seven meeting in Naples this month, leaders of the United
States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan -- along with
Russia -- condemned international terrorism and reaffirmed their resolve to
combat it. In particular, they called on "all countries involved to
renounce support for terrorism, including financial support, and to take
effective action to deny the use of their territory to terrorist
organizations."
In recent years, Iran has been the most dangerous state sponsor of
international terrorism. As the U.S. State Department has pointed out, the
Tehran regime views terrorism as a tool for achieving political objectives,
and acts of terrorism are approved at the highest levels of the Iranian
government. Iran's intelligence services have supported terrorist attacks
-- either directly or through extremist groups -- aimed at opponents of the
regime living abroad. Iran has been linked to several assassinations of
dissidents in recent years. Iranian leaders continue to call for the
murder of British author Salman Rushdie and threaten to take revenge on
anyone who supports or protects him.
Iran also supports extremist Islamic and Palestinian groups, which seek to
derail the Arab-Israeli peace process. These groups include the
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, HAMAS, and the Lebanese Hizballah. Hizballah
has been responsible for some of the worst acts of terrorism of the last
decade, including the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina
which left 29 people dead and more than 240 others wounded. Hizballah has
also launched rocket attacks on civilians in northern Israel.
The United States, its Group of Seven allies, and Russia have called on the
government of Iran to abandon its support for international terrorism.
Such support is a betrayal of the norms of civilized conduct and the
interests of the people of Iran.
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