Marine Sees Iran As Threat to U.S.
By Tom Raum
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, Feb. 29, 2000; 11:46 a.m. EST
WASHINGTON –– Iran remains the greatest long-term threat in the
region to the
United States, despite the ascendancy of reformers in its
government, the
leader of U.S. military forces in the Persian Gulf said today.
"What concerns us is the fact that the hard-liners still control
the
military, the weapons of mass destruction program, the ballistic
missile
program, and still control the intelligence services which still
support
terrorism groups," Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni told the
Senate Armed
Services Committee.
Zinni, head of the Central Command, said the fact that
reformists gained firm
control of Iran's parliament in elections earlier this month was
encouraging.
But, he suggested the United States take "a wait-and-see
attitude" before
making any overtures to improve relations with Iran.
"It still is, in our view, the greatest long-term threat in the
region, where
Iraq would be a shorter-term threat," Zinni said.
He said Iran continues to expand both its ballistic missile
program and its
nuclear program.
Zinni gave his assessment on Iran after Sen. Joseph Lieberman,
D-Conn., cited
"some fascinating and encouraging developments politically in
recent weeks."
Turning to Iraq, Zinni said he would oppose any move to ease
sanctions that
have been in place against Saddam Hussein's government since the
Gulf War.
He said he doubted that lifting sanctions would make the plight
of the Iraqi
people any better.
"What we would end up doing is allowing Saddam to rearm and his
regime to
recover and be a threat in the region again. Whether any effect
would flow
down to the Iraqi people is questionable. I think sanctions
relief would
recreate the danger of Saddam in the region that we faced 10
years ago,"
Zinni said.
Gen. Wesley Clark, the outgoing supreme NATO commander, told the
committee
that Yugoslav President Slobodan Millosevic "is still firmly in
control in
Belgrade."
"He has control of the military, the police, the finances of the
state,"
Clark said. He said Milosevic's political opposition is
fragmented and
appears ineffective.
"There are concerns over whether rumored early elections in
Serbia will
produce any real change," Clark said.
Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said President Clinton
needs to take a
more active role in getting European allies to increase their
share of paying
for peacekeeping in the Balkans and the defense of Europe in
general.
"He's got to go one on one with these European leaders," Warner
said.
© Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
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