House Bill Would Penalize Countries Aiding Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In legislation aimed mainly at Russia, the House passed a measure Tuesday that would impose sanctions on countries helping Iran develop nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. "We hope this will send a strong message to the Russian government," said Rep. Sam Gejdenson, D-Conn., ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, before the 419-0 vote. "This is an area where they can allow no seepage." The administration, in a statement, said the president's senior advisers would recommend he veto the bill because it would "have the effect of undermining multilateral support that is vital to effectively fight proliferation." Clinton vetoed a similar bill last year. The bill, sponsored by International Relations Committee Chairman Ben Gilman, R-N.Y., would require the president to report to Congress every six months on any transfer of material helping Iran's weapons program. The president would have to cut off arms export licenses or U.S. economic assistance to any country involved in Iranian weapons proliferation unless he cited national security reasons for waiving the sanctions. The Senate has not yet considered the bill. The measure also would withhold $590 million the United States is to pay Russia for its participation in the international space station program until the president determines that Russia is actively opposing proliferation to Iran. "Congress must not look the other way in the face of proliferation, or one day it will come back to haunt us," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Science Committee which has jurisdiction over space station funding. The CIA says Iran probably will develop intercontinental ballistic missiles within 15 years. Both Russia and China have provided conventional weapons to Iran, and there has long been concern about possible smuggling of nuclear technology from Russia to Iran. Last year, congressional Republican leaders decided not to try to override Clinton's veto after the administration imposed sanctions on nine Russian companies suspected of providing weapons technology to Iran. The administration, in its veto threat, said the Russians recently enacted tough export control legislation and adopted a U.S. plan aimed at severing contacts between Russian entities and Iran's missile programs. It said holding up space station money could lead to significant cost increases and delays.

Iran Acknowledges U.S. Message, Says Was Routine

TEHRAN, (Reuters) - Iran acknowledged on Monday receiving a message recently from the United States, after days of media speculation on secret contacts between the arch-foes and a letter believed to have come from President Bill Clinton. "The exchange of unsigned messages between the two countries is nothing new. The two countries have always informed each other of their views through messages or official memos," Iran's IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi as saying. "The Americans have also sent messages to Iran in the past through the relevant channels, and....Iran has always answered them directly, clearly and resolutely," Asefi said. The daily Tehran Times and other local newspapers have speculated about a "strongly worded" message from Clinton to Iran's senior leadership over bilateral relations and a request for extradition of non-Iranians living in Iran whom the United States accuses of terrorism. One newspaper said some advisers to President Mohammad Khatami had called for Tehran in turn to ask Washington to extradite the commander of a U.S. warship that shot down an Iranian airliner in 1988, killing all 290 people on board. Washington said the ship's crew mistook the plane for an attacking Iranian fighter and has paid compensation to the victims' families. Tehran said the attack was deliberate. The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Iran after militant students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran following the 1979 Islamic revolution. They held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Bilateral ties have thawed slightly since Khatami, a relative moderate, took office in 1997.

Iran Rejects U.S. Report on Religious Intolerance

TEHRAN(Reuters) - Iran has dismissed as biased a U.S. human rights report which criticised Iran for religious intolerance, a newspaper said on Sunday. "The U.S. State Department has circulated a biased and unjust view on the status of religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is an indication of its ignorance of human rights in this country," the daily Iran News quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi as saying. The United States on Thursday released its first annual report on religious freedom worldwide which criticised a number of countries. It accused Iran of trying to "eradicate" the Baha'i faith. "Iran adheres to the religious beliefs and Islamic teachings...which not only fully supports human rights of Iranian Moslems but also thoroughly observes the rights of religious minorities," Asefi was quoted as saying. Western governments and human rights groups have voiced concern over the fate of 13 Jews arrested in Iran this year. The 13 have been accused of passing military information to Israel.