WASHINGTON Nuclear
weapons? No way. But there are plenty of items on Iran's shopping list the
United States is more than happy to supply: cigarettes, brassieres, bull semen
and more.
U.S. exports to Iran grew more than tenfold during President
Bush's years in office even as he accused it of nuclear ambitions and
sponsoring terrorists. America sent more cigarettes to Iran at least $158
million worth under Bush than any other product.
Other surprising shipments during the Bush administration: fur
clothing, sculptures, perfume, musical instruments and military apparel. Top
states shipping goods to Iran include California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin,
according to an analysis by The Associated Press of seven years of U.S.
government trade data.
Despite increasingly tough rhetoric toward Iran, which Bush
has called part of an "axis of evil," U.S. trade in a range of goods
survives on-again, off-again sanctions originally imposed nearly three decades
ago. The rules allow sales of agricultural commodities, medicine and a few
other categories of goods. The exemptions are designed to help Iranian families
even as the United States pressures Iran's leaders.
"I understand that these exports have increased. However,
we believe that they are increasing to a segment of the population that we want
to reach out to, we want to know and understand that the U.S. government, the
U.S. people want to be friends with them, want to work with them to integrate
them into the world economy and become partners in the future," Gonzalo
Gallegos, a State Department spokesman, said Tuesday when asked by reporters
about AP's findings.
The government tracks exports to Iran using details from
shipping records, but in some cases it's unclear whether anyone pays attention.
Sanctions are intended in part to frustrate Iran's efforts to
build its military, but the U.S. government's own figures showed at least
$148,000 worth of unspecified weapons and other military gear were exported
from the United States to Iran during Bush's time in office. That included
$106,635 in military rifles and $8,760 in rifle parts and accessories shipped
in 2004.
The Bush administration looked into those shipments after AP
questioned whether the U.S. really approved the export of military rifles to
Iran. A review found the rifles and parts actually went to Iraq; the wrong
country was entered on the shipping record, Treasury Department spokesman John
Rankin said. The government will correct the data, he said.
The remaining military gear is likely $33,000 in military
apparel shipped to Iran under the humanitarian exemption to the trade
sanctions, Rankin said.
AP's questions also prompted the government to look into U.S.
records showing the export of at least $13,000 in "aircraft launching gear
and/or deck arrestors," equipment needed to launch jets from aircraft
carriers. Iran's navy is not believed to have carriers. It turned out they went
to Italy rather than Iran, and the data is now being corrected, Rankin said.
U.S. law enforcement believes Iran is actively trying to
acquire U.S. military technology, including aircraft parts that can sell for
pennies on the dollar compared with what the Pentagon paid. Last year, federal
agents seized four F-14 fighter jets sold to domestic buyers by an officer at
Point Mugu Naval Air Station, Calif., for $2,000 to $4,000 each, with proceeds
benefiting a squadron recreation fund. When F-14s were new, they cost roughly
$38 million each.
Bush this year signed legislation prohibiting the Pentagon
from selling leftover F-14 parts. The law was prompted by AP reporting that
buyers for Iran, China and other countries exploited Pentagon surplus sales to
obtain sensitive military equipment that included parts for F-14
"Tomcats" and other aircraft and missile components. Two men were
indicted in Florida last week on charges they shipped U.S. military aircraft
parts to Iran, including Tomcat and attack-helicopter parts.
Iran received at least $620,000 in aircraft parts and $19,600
worth of aircraft during Bush's terms. Iran relies on spare parts from other
countries to keep its commercial and military aircraft flying. In some cases,
U.S. sanctions allow shipments of aircraft parts for safety upgrades for Iran's
commercial passenger jets.
Iran is a hot issue in Washington. The House plans a hearing
Wednesday on U.S. policy toward Iran, and the Bush administration announced
Tuesday it was freezing the U.S. assets of several people and entities accused
of helping Iran develop nuclear weapons.
But the U.S. government seems uncoordinated on efforts to
limit trade with Iran.
