US highlights threat in reports on terrorism

WASHINGTON - In its annual reports on terrorism, the US has once again highlighted the threat posed by Al Qaeda and its affiliated groups, labelling Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria “state sponsors of terrorism”.

“Transnational terrorism remains the foremost security threat the United States faces, and the Obama administration has been working to strengthen the nation’s counter-terrorism strategy,” said the country reports published Thursday.

The reports are to be submitted by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to US Congress for reviewing, Xinhua reported.

“The administration is formulating policies that seek to shape and constrain the environments where terrorists operate. Central to this approach is taking steps to undermine the appeal of Al Qaeda’s world view and to isolate violent extremists,” said the reports.

As it has done in the past years, the State Department continued listing Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria on the blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, which it accuses of providing “critical support to many non-state terrorist groups”.

“Without state sponsors, these groups would have greater difficulty obtaining the funds, weapons, materials, and secure areas they require to plan and conduct operations. The US will continue to insist that these countries end the support they give to terrorist groups,” said the reports.