Stig Östlund

söndag, augusti 19, 2012

U.S. Says Iraqis Are Skirting Sanctions With Help for Iran

The New York Times
Saturday, August 18, 2012 -- 5:58 PM EDT
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When President Obama announced last month that the Elaf Islamic Bank in Baghdad was being cut off from dealings with the American banking system, it was a rare public acknowledgment that Iraq has been providing economic assistance to Iran, skirting the sanctions imposed on Tehran because of its nuclear program.

In Sunday’s New York Times, James Risen and Duraid Adnan report that many current and former American and Iraqi officials, as well as banking and oil experts, have accused Iraqi government officials of turning a blind eye to the large financial flows, smuggling and other trade with Iran. In some cases, they say, government officials, including some close to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, have been directly profiting.

While administration officials are not eager for a public showdown with the Iraqi government, Mr. Risen and Mr. Adnan write, they have held private talks with Iraqi officials to complain about specific instances of financial and logistical ties between Iraq and Iran.

Read More http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/world/middleeast/us-says-iraqis-are-helping-iran-skirt-sanctions.html?emc=na

En NYT-läsarkommentar efter hela artikeln:
"Why are these nations on the other side of the world "ours" to control or punish?
We wouldn't want another nation doing that to us.".

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