u s wants iran to end terrorism links washington upi a senior state department official on tuesday ruled out any softening of u s attitudes toward iraq but said relations with iran s islamic regime could improve substantially if that government disassociates itself from international terrorism despite the name calling and the harsh rhetoric from across the gulf despite all this we do not take a position of permanent hostility towards the islamic republic of iran david mack deputy assistant secretary for near eastern affairs said the primary u s objection is iran s international behaviour which includes extending support of violence to disrupt the arab israeli peace process and its rapid build up of dangerous weapons mack said iran could contribute to regional stability and peace but first it is to end the behaviour which threatens this area mack spoke at the u s gcc business conference aimed at promoting gulf american trade he said the middle east will be an item very high on the agenda of the u s administration the importance of the gulf is underlined by secretary of state warren christoper s visit last year to saudi arabia and kuwait before anywhere else in the world mack said he added that the u s has no long term plan to station troops in the gulf mack also insisted that the clinton administration will continue to pressure iraq to comply with all the u n security resolutions as long as iraq is ruled by saddam hussein we do not expect compliance mack told delegates copyright by upi newsbytes
