[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] Michael Jacobson - There has been an increase in the number and scale of U.S. law enforcement investigations targeting Iran's illicit activities. This is related to the growing prioritization of Iran by all arms of the U.S. government. As the Bush administration highlighted the growing threat posed by Iran, all of the relevant government agencies - including law enforcement entities - began exploring what they could bring to this effort. Another factor is the expanded U.S. government authority in the area of sanctions, courtesy of the October 2007 International Emergency Economic Powers Enhancement Act. The act increased penalties for violating sanctions, raising the possible civil fines from $50,000 to $250,000 or twice the value of the transaction (whichever is higher), and the criminal penalties from $50,000 to $1 million. To make a broader impact, the Obama administration must persuade other key countries involved in trade with Iran to adopt a similarly aggressive approach.
2009-05-01 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive