Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 3, 1990 TAG: 9007030183
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NICOSIA, CYPRUS LENGTH: Medium
Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency, monitored in Cyprus, said Rafsanjani thanked the leaders for their sympathy, financial contributions and material aid.
It listed 98 countries, Soviet republics, Arab emirates or U.N. agencies. But the United States, which Iran once called the "Great Satan," was missing from the list.
Despite the history of ill will between the two nations, the U.S. government and private American charities provided $760,000 in aid for the earthquake survivors, according to the State Department.
The money was accepted, although some Iranians argued fiercely that it should be rejected.
The American Red Cross said Monday that contributions to an Iranian earthquake fund are far below the amounts raised after temblors in San Francisco, Mexico and Soviet Armenia.
"Many Americans will contribute, but there are a large number who will say, `Let them take that,' or `Let them call on Khomeini to take care of that,' which will be hard for him to do from the grave," said Roy Austin, an associate professor of sociology at Penn State.
In the 10 days after the December 1988 earthquake in Armenia, the Red Cross received more than $3 million for relief efforts, said Jim Cassell, an agency spokesman.
Rafsanjani, who has been seeking to improve relations with the West, is at odds with hard-liners in his government who shun any contacts with the United States.
The June 21 temblor, which registered between 7.3 and 7.7 on the Richter scale, killed at least 40,000 people and injured about 60,000 by Iranian estimates.
The Iranian temblor was stronger than either last October's Northern California earthquake, which measured 7.1 on the Richter scale, or the 6.9 quake that killed 25,000 in Armenia in December 1988.
Also missing from Monday's list was Saudi Arabia. That moderate Arab country provided tents, medicine and food during relief efforts.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are embroiled in a dispute over the annual Moslem pilgrimage to Mecca. The Saudis accuse Iran of having instigated terrorism there.
Also left off the list was Iraq, Iran's enemy during the eight-year Persian Gulf war that ended two years ago. Iraq also sent relief supplies.
by CNB