The House of Representatives has passed H.R. 2194: the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009 by a vote of 412-12. This legislation is intended to bring Iran in line with the UNSC demands to give up its "inalienable" right under Article IV of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NNPT) to which Iran is a signatory. In a porous world, sanctions are ineffective; however, thanks to our lawmakers they have taken their toll on the American economy.
According to a new paper developed by economists Dean DeRosa and Gary Hufbauer, if the United States lifted sanctions on Iran and the nation liberalized its economic regime, the world price of oil could fall by 10 percent which would translate into an annual savings of $38-76 billion for the United States. With a country that has mortgaged its future, thanks to its multiple wars and its eagerness to launch on yet another war with Iran, this fact is lost on all but the 12 Representatives who speak for America's interests.
Perhaps the patriotic representatives who argued against sanctions would have been more persuasive had they applied AIPAC's line of reasoning when in 1977 it argued its case before the House. AIPAC defined the Arab League boycott as "a harassment and blackmailing of America, an interference with normal business activities ... that the boycott activities were contrary to the principles of free trade that the United States has espoused for many years ... and the Arab interference in the business relations of American firms with other countries is in effect an interference with the sovereignty of the United States."
The US adopted and enforced comprehensive anti-boycott legislation which Jimmy Carter signed into law in 1977. The law called for fines to be levied on American companies which cooperated with the boycott. It appears that in an about face, legislators no longer feel that ' interference in the business relations of American firms with other countries is in effect an interference with the sovereignty of the United States'. Instead, they have heeded Mr. Netanyahu's call.
According to Robert Woodard (The National, Sept, 2009), Benjamin Netanyahu made an appeal to Congress asking them to impose "crippling sanctions" on Iran in an effort to halt its nuclear program. Paradoxically, Israel is not signatory to the NPT and is believed to have hundreds of nuclear warheads.
Israel's 'fear' and push for sanctions stems from intelligence reports claiming that 'Iran will have a bomb in six months'. This claim was first made in September 2005 and repeatedly thereon. Not only has such unfounded 'intelligence' misled, but it has been of disservice to America and the international community. The legislators ought to serve the American people - not to hurt them in order to punish Iranians.