WASHINGTON Ñ Several Middle East countries have been named as violators of religious freedom.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has nominated several states as "countries of particular concern." These include Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

The commission said these countries are among the worldÕs worst religious-freedom violators, subject to U.S. action under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Other countries listed were Burma, China, Laos, North Korea and Turkmenistan.

The panel said religious persecution increased in Sudan. Religion, the report said, has been a leading factor in the 18-year civil war.

"The Sudanese government is reported in the last month to have escalated its bombing of civilian and humanitarian targets in the south, and continued its campaign forcibly to remove populations from the oil development areas that are providing financial support for its egregious human rights abuses," the report said.

The commission said religious freedom "does not exist" in Saudi Arabia.

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