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Iranian President Mohammed Khatami.
Terrorism
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS PLUS
5/8
1998
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The administration continues to
actively evaluate hints of moderation
in Iran. But despite a fairly positive
assessment by U.S. intelligence agen-
cies, officials here aren't ready for any
precipitous changes in U.S. policy
toward the Teheran government, a
fact that was signaled by last week's
annual State Department report on
terrorism.
Iran, according to the report, is still
"the most active state sponsor of ter-
rorism ... There is no evidence that
Iranian policy has changed, and Iran
continues both to provide significant
support to terrorist organizations and
to assassinate dissidents abroad."
- Last year's election of President
Mohammad Khatami, a relative mod-
erate who has indicated a desire to
begin a dialogue with "the American
people," has not yet had an impact on
Iranian behavior, the report suggested,
adding that Iran was tesponsible for at
least 13 assassinations last year.
But this week, top intelligence offi-
cials, speaking on background to
reporters in Washington, hinted that
they saw signs that Khatami was push-
ing his government hard to end its
support for terrorism.
The State Department report also
pointed to Syria and Iraq as countries
that continue to harbor terrorists. It
praised efforts by the Palestinian
Authority, which it said has "pre-
empted several anti-Israeli attacks over
the year, including several planned sui-
cide bombings, and detained hundreds
of individuals for their alleged roles in
terrorist operations."
.
But the annual terrorism report
added that "more effort is needed by
the PA to enhance its bilateral cooper-
ation with Israel and its unilateral
fight against terrorism."
The report noted a number of
Hamas attacks against Israel in 1997,
including three deadly suicide bomb-
ings.
But it also pointed to terrorist
attacks against Palestinians by Israelis
"including a Jan. 1 incident in
Hebron where an off-duty Israeli sol-
dier fired into a crowded market,
wounding seven peisons."
Jewish leaders were generally satis-
fied with the findings, and especially
the relatively tough line on Iran —
although there are growing concerns
about the intensifying internal debate
over Iran policy.
"There are forces pushing hard for
a relaxation of sanctions, which would
be a mistake at this time," said an offi-
cial with a pro-Israel group here. "It's
still too early to say how these discus-
sions will ultimately affect administra-
tion policy. But it's important that we
evaluate Iranian behavior, not
rhetoric."
And Jewish officials conceded that
tough language in State Department
reports doesn't necessarily translate
into tough policy.
"Broader foreign policy considera-
tions tend to affect our diplomacy
more than the findings in such
reports," said Jess Hordes, Washington
director for the Anti-Defamation
League. "This is often a source of frus-
tration because it tends to undercut
the perceived credibility of our com-
mitment to deal with terrorism."
so
Administration
`Paralyzed'
Even as American negotiators were
racing around London, trying to con- 40
vince Prime Minister Netanyahu to
accept American proposals for a new
Israeli redeployment on the West
Bank, the man most responsible for
beginning the Madrid peace talks was
busily blasting the Clinton administra-
tion for allowing politics and not
national interest to shape its Mideast
policy.
Former Secretary of State James
Baker III, hosted by Middle East
Insight magazine, said that the United
States is "almost paralyzed, almost
impotent" in its mediation role in the
deadlocked Palestinian-Israeli talks
because of the administration's politi-
cal fears.