Letter sent to Congress by the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee on Tuesday afternoon:
Dear Congressman XXXX,
We are writing to every member of Congress to express outrage at the
U.S. government’s continuing relationship with dozens of companies
doing business with Iran. These ongoing financial dealings undermine
longstanding American efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear
weapons capability.
As the New York Times reported on Sunday, the federal government
during the past decade has awarded $107 billion in contracts and grants
to more than 70 companies that are doing business in Iran. More than
two-thirds of these contracts have gone to companies involved in Iran’s
energy industry despite American law to discourage such involvement.
The time has long since passed this policy to change. Unfortunately,
as the Times points out, three successive American administrations have
failed to enforce the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, which mandates U.S.
sanctions on firms investing more than $20 million in Iran’s energy
sector. While Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama may have
discouraged some investment in Iran through their rhetoric, the United
States has sent the American and international business community a
contradictory message by failing to enforce the law.
Despite publicly acknowledged investments by se… >>>
