Clinton Courting Old Foes
By TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - From North Korea to Iran to Libya, President Clinton is courting former adversaries, some of them still on the State Department's terrorism list, as he nears the end of his term and ponders his legacy.
He is attempting to rehabilitate ties with some of the same governments and leaders long vilified by the United States.
Some examples:
-Two decades after President Reagan warned that Libyan ``hit squads' might invade U.S. cities, the Clinton administration is considering easing restrictions on American travel to the North African country and exploring whether its oil might be made available to U.S. markets again.
-The administration this month lifted a ban on U.S. imports of Iranian luxury goods and said it would seek a legal settlement that could free Iranian assets frozen since 1979. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright invited Iran to enter a ``new relationship' with the United States.
-Last September, the United States lifted trade, banking and other sanctions that had been in place against isolationist North Korea for decades. Former Defense Secretary William Perry has visited Pyongyang seeking closer ties, and a high-ranking North Korean official may visit the United States next month.
These three remain on the State Department's list of seven countries that support or sponsor terrorism. Trade between the United States and these countries is essentially prohibited. The others are Syria, Iraq, Cuba and Sudan.
...
In many cases, Clinton's overtures are following economic opportunities, his supporters say.
For instance, normalizing trade relations with China could open vast new markets to U.S. exporters and farmers, they argue.
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