IIC welcomes Congressmen's initiative to exempt food
from Iran sanctions, urges Clinton to allow food sales
Washington DC, December 25, 1998, (IIC) - Iranians
for International Cooperation (IIC) welcomes Senator Craig's initiative
to persuade the Treasury Department to grant necessary license for the
$500 million worth of farm exports to Iran. In a letter to President Clinton,
IIC's Chairman urges the US administration to hear the request of the US
lawmakers and allow sales of food commodities to Iran.
Earlier this week, Senator Craig and 31 other lawmakers called earlier
this week for a food exemption from the Iran sanctions, pointing out that
unilateral sanctions simply don't work and that they hurt US companies
more than the countries singled out for punishment.
This initiative indicates the increased awareness of the futility of
unilateral sanctions. Indeed, the sanctions instrument is a clumsy foreign
policy tool with tendencies to backfire and hurt American businesses and
farmers.
At a time when declining Asian demand has depressed US grain prices
to the lowest level in a generation, an estimated 10 to 11 percent of the
world's 98 million ton wheat market is off-limits because of foreign policy
economic sanctions. This has made life for US farmers very burdensome,
while foreign competitors happily have taken over their market shares.
The sanctions on Iran have so far only resulted in poorer relations
with key US allies, increased hostility towards Iran at a time when Iran
is reaching out to the US, increased suffering for the ordinary hardworking
people in Iran and lost business opportunities for US companies.
Improved relations with Iran, which is an important power in Persian
Gulf region, is in the vital interest of the US. The current policy is
long overdue for review. IIC warmly welcomes the willingness amongst lawmakers
at Capitol Hill to patch the frayed relationship between Iran and the US.
Iranians for International Cooperation
(IIC), is a not-for-profit, independent network of concerned global citizens
who strive to improve relations between the two former allies Iran and
the US.
Contact: Trita Parsi, Chairman, chair@iic.org
Ramin Farjad-Rad, PR Officer, public_reation@iic.org