Iran named as chief terror sponsor

The US State Department has claimed that Iran is the chief supporter of international terrorism in the world.

In its annual report to Congress, the State department named, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, North Korea, Cuban and Syria as sponsors of terrorism for the eighth year running.

However, the report admits that Sudan and Libya has made some progress to distance themselves from terrorist organisations.

Unsurprisingly it listed 2001 as the worst year on record for terrorist attacks, claiming more than 3,500 lives, mainly from the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

The annual Patterns of Global Terrorism report called the September 11 suicide-hijackings "the worst international terrorist attack ever", killing nationals from more than 78 countries.