 .......................
|
 Made in Russia Another piece of crap February 21, 2002 The Iranian The other day I woke up to the terribly sad and depressing news that an Iranian airliner carrying 117 people crashed into a mountain while trying to land in western Iran killing all aboard. There has been a rash of these accidents in recent years in which hundreds have died. This latest incident was an unbelievable tragedy that could have been avoided. U.S. sanctions bar the sale of Boeing airliners to the Islamic Republic and hinder the acquisition of other aircraft, many of which rely on U.S.-built engines or other components.  Washington imposed sanctions in 1996, under the Iran-Libya
Sanctions Act. Subject to these U.S. sanctions, the country has had difficulty obtaining
spare parts for its aging fleet of aircraft, many of them Boeings acquired before
the 1979 revolution, and has instead leased or bought planes from the former Soviet
Union, the main culprits being the Russian-built Yakovlev and Tupolev airplanes.
My personal experience with Russian products comes from a trip I took with my family to Mashhad in the early 70's for a pilgrimage to Imam Reza's shrine. The people we were staying with had a Russian-made automobile (you remember, they were called "Moskovic" ) which is the forerunner to the "Yugo" -- another piece of crap. We were sitting in Moskovic station wagon on a street outside of the main Shrine area, when a bicyclist which had problems maneuvering his bike crashed right into the side of the car. The sound of the crash was so loud, I thought we were hit buy an 18-wheeler. The cyclist picked himself off the pavement and dusted off. We asked if he was alright. He nodded yes and took off, with the front wheel of his bike a bit out of whack. I looked at our car: The door panel had been crushed. I couldn't believe it. They must have used leftover caviar tins to build this thing! It was at that moment that I came to the realization that Russian-made products were not for me The Chernobyl nuclear reactor incident confirmed my childhood belief. "Product of Russia" is what you want to see on a vodka bottle, caviar tin, or even a Kalashnikov AK-47 rifle, but not an airplane. I know that Boeings crash too, but given a choice, I would fly a "Made in the USA" aircraft anyday. I feel extremely lucky to be living in the U.S, and having the choice of what products I can buy, including the type of airplane I would like to fly in. But what about the poor souls in Iran who have no choice but to drive a Moskovic or fly a Tupolev, risking their lives?  I believe Iran has wanted to buy Boeing aircraft and
parts, but the sanctions don't allow this. Since most of Iran's aircraft are pre-revolution
Boeings, it's natural to want to upkeep them rather than buy the European Airbus.What scares me more is that Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility is being built by the Russians too. This should scare the countries of the Persian Gulf more than it scares me, since one small Chernobyl-style accident could truly ruin their weekend. I can't wait for the day that Iran's own industrial prowess and quality control is such that a "Made in Iran" label inspires confidence and reassurance. Until we get there, I hope the sanctions could be lifted, and "Made in USA" products are allowed in Iran to be enjoyed, and safely used, by Iranians.
|
|
|
|
Web design by BTC Consultants
Internet server Global Publishing Group