AFF/ROGUE STATES/IRAN

IRAN SPONSORS TERRORISM

IRAN BACKS TERRORISTS WHO WANT TO STOP THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS AS WELL AS ATTACK AMERICA

Holger Jensen February 6, 2000, DENVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS SECTION: Local; Ed. Final; Pg. 39A HEADLINE: CIA DIRECTOR MAKES CASE FOR ANTI-MISSILE DEFENSE // ACS-LN-02-10-00

Another set of extremist groups, including Hamas, the Palestine Islamic Jihad and Lebanese Hezbollah, continues to pose a ''significant threat'' to the Middle East peace process and to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. and Israeli interests. Hamas ''may have achieved competence'' in toxic chemicals, said Tenet.

With help from Iran, these groups seek to derail the Middle East peace process. Progress in Israel's talks with the Syrians and Palestinians will heighten the anger and frustration of these groups and encourage them to lash out.

IRANIAN TERRORIST ATTACKS WOULD LEAD TO A NUCLEAR CRISIS

Eisenstadt, Autumn 99 Michael Eisenstadt is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, "Living with a Nuclear Iran?" Survival, The IISS Quarterly, Autumn, 1999 // SJ*8

The tug-of-war between different factions pursuing different agendas thus makes deterrence vis-a-vis Iran a difficult and uncertain proposition. Those seeking to undermine Khatami might engage in terrorism against US personnel or interests in order to embarrass and discredit him and perhaps prompt US retaliation, in the hope that this might halt the movement towards greater openness in Iran, and bolster domestic support for their position. How does one establish a stable deterrent relationship in such a context? Another concern is that old patterns of behaviour might persist after Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, with elements of the regime continuing their involvement in conventional terrorism and efforts to export the Revolution. Iran's success thus far in obscuring its involvement in terrorism against the US and other countries, and in avoiding retaliation or retribution, might lead some in Iran to believe that they could act again with impunity, or forestall retaliation by blaming the action on 'rogue elements', In the new nuclear context such behaviour would be risky and reckless. Attacks on US or Israeli personnel or interests by Iranian-supported groups might initiate a process of escalation that could lead to a nuclear crisis.