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Politics -
World Politics
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Friday, 01 May 2009 12:25 |
Iran rejects a US state department report saying it remains the "most active state sponsor of terrorism" in the world. The report, entitled Country Reports on Terrorism, was released on Thursday and accused Iran of involvement in planning and financing support of attacks
throughout the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia.
It said Iran's activities had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, economic stability in the Gulf region and undermined the growth of democracy. (Aljazeera)
Iran rejected the report, saying the US was guilty of double standards.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the US had no right to accuse others in light of its actions at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay.
The BBC's state department correspondent, Kim Ghattas, says the new US administration may be trying to engage Tehran, but, just like last year, Iran is still described as the most active state sponsor of terrorism.
"The Quds Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is the regime's primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad," the report said.
"The Quds Force provided aid in the form of weapons, training and funding to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraq-based militants and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan."
Currently, 241 prisoners are being held at the notorious detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, many without standing trail. US President Barack Obama has promised to shut down the prison and has banned torture; the prison remains open.
"The policy of double standards of the United States is known to the world. Therefore, the US has nothing new to say," the Iranian official added.
Washington is still pursuing a dual-track strategy of carrots and sticks with Tehran over its nuclear work despite US President Barack Obama's claim of a 'new beginning' with the Iranian government.
The US accusations against Iran were spearheaded by former president George W. Bush who called Iran 'the axis of evil,' labeling Tehran the main sponsor of terrorism.
Iran, however, has on several occasions defended itself against the allegations, saying Tehran surely benefits the security in the region.
Tehran calls 'moral' its support for Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Palestinian nation and the democratically-elected government of Hamas.
Iranian officials have also welcomed fighting terrorism in neighboring Afghanistan, which they say has jeopardized the security of the whole region, spreading beyond the Afghan borders. (Press TV)
The report is released annually and the US law requires the secretary of state to make it available to congress by April.
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