[originaltext] President Clinton has met at the White House with British auth

President Clinton has met at the White House with British author Salman Rushdie, who has been under a death sentence issued by Iran for his book Satanic Verses.
   White House officials confirm the President met briefly with Mr Rushdie, Wednesday. It was their first such meeting. A White House official, who was asked not to be identified, said the Indian-born author spent just under an hour here. He said US officials assured Mr Rushdie the administration supports freedom of expression and he reiterated the US call for Iran to lift its death edict against Mr Rushdie. At the same time the US official pointed out the US call on Iran should not be misinterpreted as opposition to Islam but opposition to intolerance and state-supported murder. Mr Rushdie has been in hiding for four years but appeared unexpectedly at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to receive an honorary’ post as visiting Professor of the Humanities. Iran has charged Satanic Verses is blasphemous.