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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