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Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/03/wiran03.xml
Iran "Confident and Ready to Hit Back at U.S."
(Telegraph-UK) Alec Russell and Anton La Guardia - Iran's clerical regime is supremely confident, has a firm grip on power, and is ready to retaliate against attacks by America or Israel with missiles or by activating terrorist allies, the U.S. national intelligence director, John Negroponte, told the Senate's intelligence committee. "Iran already has the largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East. And Teheran views its ballistic missiles as an integral part of its strategy to deter and, if necessary, retaliate against forces in the region, including United States forces." Negroponte cited Teheran's "generous public spending" funded by record oil revenues as one factor working in favor of the clerical regime's continued hold on power. He also noted that the Iranian-backed Hizballah group in Lebanon "has a worldwide support network and is capable of attacks against U.S. interests if it feels its Iranian patron is threatened."