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White House Seeks to Soften Iran Sanctions

(Washington Times) Eli Lake - The Obama administration is pressing Congress to provide an exemption from Iran sanctions to companies based in "cooperating countries," a move that likely would exempt Chinese and Russian concerns from penalties meant to discourage investment in Iran. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) said the exemption "is aimed at China and Russia specifically....The administration wants to give a pass to countries for merely supporting a watered-down, almost do-nothing UN resolution." However Patrick Clawson, deputy director for research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said: "If the administration can use this 'cooperating-countries' waiver to get cooperation from a country like China on enforcing the UN sanctions and on suspending investment in Iran's oil and gas industry, then this bill will be a great success for U.S. objectives about Iran's nuclear program and support for terrorism."
2010-04-29 08:38:54
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