Log In | Register
41 Comments
PrintImages 
(showing 1 of 14 photos)
(showing 1 of 14 photos)advertisement
WASHINGTON — A lawmaker will seek a broad review of exports to Iran to see whether exemptions to U.S. trade sanctions are being abused. Cigarettes, bull semen and other goods have gone Iran's way as exports grew during President Bush's time in office.
Rep. David Scott, vice chairman of the House subcommittee on terrorism, nonproliferation and trade, said Friday that he will press for a congressional review of sanctions enforcement following an Associated Press investigation that found U.S. exports to Iran rose from about $8 million in 2001, Bush's first year in office, to nearly $150 million last year.
The goods — sent under agricultural, medical and humanitarian exemptions to the sanctions — also included soybeans, medicine and medical equipment, brassieres, musical instruments, cosmetics and military apparel, among other things.
"Once it's been brought to light, then it's our duty to go ahead and move on it and not just stand idly by," said Scott, a Georgia Democrat whose panel is part of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He said he will reach out to Democrats and Republicans for a bipartisan review. "I think this is an issue that the full committee should take a look at."
Scott said he wants to know who is getting licenses to export goods to Iran, what they are shipping and whether the government is making sure it has accurate information about the exports. He said it worried him that the government's own records showed at least $106,635 in military rifles and $8,760 in rifle parts and accessories going to Iran during Bush's time in office, along with thousands of dollars worth of military aircraft parts.
The Bush administration looked into those exports after AP questioned them. It says the rifles and parts actually went to Iraq, and that Iran was erroneously entered on the shipping record. At least $13,000 in "aircraft launching gear and/or deck arrestors," equipment needed to launch jets from aircraft carriers, actually went to Italy, not to Iran as records showed, the administration said.
Scott said he wants to make sure Iran isn't getting U.S. military gear it shouldn't have, if the explanation about errors in the shipping records is accurate, and why no one looked until AP questioned it.
"There's been lax oversight by the administration in this area of exports," Scott said in a phone interview from Georgia. "We agree that there should be some types of exports going in to help the Iranian people with some very life-and-death kinds of situations, such as medicine and food and that sort of thing, but we need to figure out a way to make sure it's not being abused."
___
On the Net:
House Foreign Affairs Committee: http://hcfa.house.gov/
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
9 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
Published to:
- Sharon Theimer's Column, All of Newsvine
- Groups: none
- Regions: Turkey , United Kingdom , United States , Iraq , Iran , Canada , China , Cyprus , Singapore, Washington DC
 | U.S. Exports Cigarettes, Bras, Bull Semen to Iran - CNN.com | CNN | Wed Jul 9 | 8 |
| U.S. Planning Air Strikes Against Iran, Says Former Weapons Inspector | The Public Record | Sun Jul 6 | 0 |
| New War With Iran Brewing: US, Israel Take Dangerous Steps | LewRockwell.com | Mon Jul 7 | 4 |
- Public Discussion (41)
What's this?
Who's leading the conversation?
This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user
has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the
left, in their corresponding group.
Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
2.2
1.3
0.5
{"commentId":2145248,"authorDomain":"kyle-p"}
Of course the US is still doing business with Iran, it's the American way isn't it?...It will get worse when Barak Obama takes over....we will probably give them all they need to build nuclear weapons, so they can turn around and take us out.
{"commentId":2145248,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"kyle-p"}
#26 - Tue Jul 8, 2008 6:27 PM EDT{"commentId":2145615,"authorDomain":"eriktheread"}
Besides being principled in their wish for sanctions against Iran due to some allegations about nuclear weapons, they are also principled when it comes to capitalism. The US will not go it alone when it comes to sanctions, and let other countries follow the lead in due course. No, they want everyone to impose the same sanctions. This makes sense, if you want sanctions to have the maximum effect. But it also makes sense if you don't want to let your principles stand in the way of a good deal. Simply put: The US government does not want American businesses to suffer alone for political principles.
The best deal of them all is if you can get everyone else to sanction a country but ignore those sanctions yourself. This is pretty much what happened when the world imposed sanctions on the apartheid regime of South Africa. The US kept on trading.
Studies (that I don't have access to) have shown that in the case of Cuba and Burma sanctions have had the precise opposite effect of those intended. They give these regimes more control, not less.
{"commentId":2145615,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"eriktheread"}
- 1 vote
#27 - Tue Jul 8, 2008 7:21 PM EDT{"commentId":2147781,"authorDomain":"incydius"}
Prefferably, and especially with the current tensions + issues, we shouldn't be doing ANY buisness with Iran. Politics aside, loosing what money we do make from exporting to them isn't exactly like a big dent in our overall yearly export income, anyways. And we certainly should not be BUYING from them, allowing them more ways to make money from us.
We certainly shouldn't be shipping ANY kind of weapons or even parts what-so-ever, like rifles + aircraft parts. Yet no matter how often it comes up, we still seem to keep selling things to countries that could one day be used against us in some manner.
IF we are going to continue selling them things, then just sell them the cigarettes. They can really only harm themselves with those.
{"commentId":2147781,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"incydius"}
#28 - Wed Jul 9, 2008 2:57 AM EDT{"commentId":2147923,"authorDomain":"dr-pepper-cheetos"}
First, don't insult redneck morons by putting Bush in that category. Secondly, someone mentioned GE and that is right on the mark. Why doesn't anyone ever do an investigative report on how they sell stuff to countries on the banned list via their subsidiaries in other countries. Substance over form.
I can't believe how the American public gets screwed by the powerful lobbyists who'd sell their soul for $10 to the highest bidder. It's the lobbyists who protect these dirtbag corporations by buying off Congressmen.
America is in decline and we'd better do something to fix it fast. For 8 years I fought the losing jobs in America and lost heartily. I figured in order for us to win we have to have the government on our side and some people who were willing to work!
{"commentId":2147923,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"dr-pepper-cheetos"}
#29 - Wed Jul 9, 2008 4:52 AM EDT{"commentId":2148011,"authorDomain":"eriktheread"}
America is in decline and we'd better do something to fix it fast.
There is a slight problem. Someone burned the map and threw away the compass.
{"commentId":2148011,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"eriktheread"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":2149738,"authorDomain":"south-bay"}
Money first. Anything else is last. That's what capitalism is all about. Between country and money, investors pick money because they're in business to make money and leave country for others to take care.
{"commentId":2149738,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"south-bay"}
#30 - Wed Jul 9, 2008 11:40 AM EDT{"commentId":2150059,"authorDomain":"mameremc"}
This is supposedly a government "of the people, for the people, by the people". In my eyes, the "of the people" whomever they are (most assuredly not I) have the audacity to think they know better than "by the people". I also feel the "for the people" are their pockets, not what is needed "by the people" and the majority of us "by the people" are thankful that we live in a great country and have very high ideals and images of ourselves but suffer inwardly because we know it is a sham but yet we will still try to protect but how does one make it a government for the "by the people" when even I who always votes does not wish to anymore because, finding out that the popular vote does not win elections but the super delegates who are representative to "of the people" make it senseless as does this bit of trading with Iran. Shame on this land "of the people".
{"commentId":2150059,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"mameremc"}
- 1 vote
#31 - Wed Jul 9, 2008 12:11 PM EDT{"commentId":2150953,"authorDomain":"vanatty"}
Good for them; now let's get on with life with all the peoples in this complex society of the world.
{"commentId":2150953,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"vanatty"}
#32 - Wed Jul 9, 2008 1:46 PM EDT{"commentId":2152102,"authorDomain":"mameremc"}
This is supposedly a government "of the people, for the people, by the people". In my eyes, the "of the people" whomever they are (most assuredly not I) have the audacity to think they know better than the "by the people", I also feel the "for the people" are in their pockets, not what is needed "by the people" and the majority of us "by the people" are thankful that we live in a great country and have very high ideals and images of ourselves but suffer inwardly because we know it is a sham but yet we will still try to protect our country but how does none make it a government for the "by the people" when even I, who always votes, does not wish to anymore because, finding out that the popular vote does not win elections the the delegates and super delegates super cede by imposing on themselves who to choose for the "by the people" whom they think do not know what is best for them This trading with Iran is a sham, another sham that is a SHAME for our country.
{"commentId":2152102,"threadId":"308685","contentId":"1647083","authorDomain":"mameremc"}
#33 - Wed Jul 9, 2008 3:35 PM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"308685","isPrivate":false}
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
Start Tracking
Stop TrackingCOMPANY STUFF:
LEGAL STUFF:
- © 2005-2009 Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine® is a registered trademark of Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine is a property of
