Joseph Schuman
AOL News
March 5, 2010
Even as the U.S. pushes for tougher international sanctions aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program, a government investigation suggests Washington is doing a lousy job policing the sanctions already in place.
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
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The Government Accountability Office said that the government hasn’t been able to prevent even dual-use and military goods from traveling from the U.S. to Iran, and that the Treasury Department’s statistics on trade with Iran include goods that didn’t even go there. The GAO also found that the department’s paper-based export-licensing system is too slow to give Customs and Border Protection officials the data they need for effective inspections at U.S. ports.
“According to U.S. officials, Iran is obtaining U.S. military and dual-use goods that are being illegally trans-shipped by firms and individuals through locations in numerous countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Singapore,” the GAO said. “The goods include components for U.S.-built fighter aircraft, electronics and specialized metals.”
The cases uncovered by Justice Department investigators include shipments of missile parts, laboratory equipment, night vision goggles, submachine guns and “sensitive technologies sent to Iranian missile and nuclear entities,” the GAO added.
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