Iran remains world’s biggest state-sponsor of terrorism: US State Dept

Iran Focus: Washington, Apr. 28 – Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 2004, according to the United States’ annual “Country Reports on Terrorism”, released yesterday by the State Department. The State Department report said that Iran’s “Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps and Ministry of Intelligence and Security were involved in the planning and support of terrorist acts and continued to exhort a variety of groups to use terrorism in pursuit of their goals”.
Iran Focus

Washington, Apr. 28 – Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 2004, according to the United States’ annual “Country Reports on Terrorism”, released yesterday by the State Department.

The State Department report said that Iran’s “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ministry of Intelligence and Security were involved in the planning and support of terrorist acts and continued to exhort a variety of groups to use terrorism in pursuit of their goals”.

The report criticised Iranian meddling in neighbouring Iraq, adding, “Iran pursued a variety of policies in Iraq during 2004, some of which appeared to be inconsistent with Iran’s stated objectives regarding stability in Iraq as well as those of the Iraqi Interim Government (IIG) and the Coalition. Senior IIG officials have publicly expressed concern over Iranian interference in Iraq, and there were reports that Iran provided funding, safe transit, and arms to insurgent elements, including Muqtada al-Sadr’s forces”.

Regarding Iran’s stated objection to the Middle East Peace process, the yearly report noted, “Supreme Leader (Ali) Khamenei praised Palestinian terrorist operations”, adding, “during 2004, Iran maintained a high-profile role in encouraging anti-Israeli terrorist activity, both rhetorically and operationally”.

On Iranian ties to al-Qa-ida, the State Department said, “Iran continued to be unwilling to bring to justice senior al-Qa’ida members it detained in 2003”.