Cuba, Libya, Sudan, Iran, N Korea

Washington, Apr 28 (UNI) The US State Department Country Report on Terrorism 2005 has listed six countries as state sponsors of terrorism - Cuba, Libya, Sudan, Iran, North Korea and Syria.

Libya and Sudan continued to take significant steps to cooperate in the global war on terror. But Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria however, continued to maintain their ties with the terrorist groups.

Iran and Syria routinely provide unique safe haven, substantial resources and guidance to terrorist organisations.

It singled out Iran as the most active state sponsor of terrorism.

Its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) were directly involved in the planning and support of terrorist acts and continued to exhort a variety of groups, especially Palestinian groups with leadership cadres in Syria, Lebanese Hizballah to use terrorism in pursuit of their goals.

The Report pointed out that state sponsors of terrorism provide critical support to non-state terrorist groups. Without state sponsors, terrorist groups would have much more difficulty obtaining the funds, weapons, materials and secure areas they require to plan and conduct operations.

Most worrisome is that some of these countries also have capability to manufacture weapons of mass destruction and other destabilising technologies that can get into thehands of terrorists.

The United States will continue to insist that these countries end the support they give to terrorist groups, the report, mandated by the US Congress, said.

State sponsors of terrorism come under four main sets of US government sanctions. This includes 1) a ban on arms-related exports and sales, 2) controls over exports of dual-use items, requiring 30-day Congressional notification for goods or services that could significantly enhance the terrorist-list country's military capability or ability to support terrorism.

3) Prohibitions on economic assistance 4) Imposition of miscellaneous financial and other restrictions, including requiring the US to oppose loans by the World Bank and other international financial institutions, lifting of diplomatic immunity to allow families of terrorist victims to file civil lawsuits in US courts.

UNI XC PR GC2127