IRAN MAY COME OFF DRUG LIST

WASHINGTON--Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in a move aimed at
improving ties with Tehran, has recommended that President Clinton remove
Iran from the U.S. list of major illicit drug-producing countries, a senior
U.S. official said Monday.

A new U.S. survey has concluded that Iran has eradicated much of its
illicit poppy cultivation and thus it "no longer meets the statutory
justification" for inclusion on the list, the official said. Being on the
list means Iran is "decertified" from receiving U.S. aid and support for
multilateral development bank lending.

It was hoped that Iran would see the decision as evidence that the United
States makes judgments on the basis of facts, and "they are not based on
some preordained desire to isolate Iran," said the official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity.

In recent years, Iran's government has reported success in halting illicit
cultivation.

Checked-by: Richard Lake