M A I N   N E W S

USA imposes sanctions on Pak, Iran

WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (PTI) — In a significant development, the USA today imposed fresh sanctions against Pakistan and Iran for two years for importing missile-related equipment and technology from China for their highest level missile programmes and removed sanctions on Beijing imposed earlier for exporting missile technology.

“In consideration of China’s commitment to strengthen its missile-related export control system, we’ve decided to waive economic sanctions required by US law for past assistance by Chinese entities to missile programmes in Pakistan and Iran, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

The new sanctions against Pakistan and Iran “do send a strong signal that the United States opposes these countries’ missile programmes,” he said adding, “The waiver to China does not apply to any transfers that might occur in the future.”

Details of the new sanctions against Pakistan and Iran would be announced in the Federal Register shortly, Boucher said.

The sanctioned entities in Pakistan, he said, were the Ministry of Defence and the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission and their sub-units and successors.

In Iran, the sanctioned entities are the Defence Industries Organisation, the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics and their sub-units and successors.

Mr Boucher said that the sanctions against Iran and Pakistan would be for two years and all individual export licences for commerce or state-controlled items, and all new US Government contracts would be denied to the Pakistani entities. The same would apply for the Iranian entities.

The current sanctions against Pakistan, imposed after it conducted nuclear tests in May 1998 following India’s Pokhran explosions, cover area of military and dual use items, he said.

Even at this stage, however, Mr Boucher indicated that the USA was prepared to forgive Pakistan under certain circumstances.

“We are prepared to discuss with Pakistan the conditions under which a waiver on the Pakistani entities might be warranted,” he said.

Taking note of India’s concerns about the Chinese aid to Pakistan’s missile programmes, Mr Boucher said: “You have to ask the Indian Government (but) we certainly believe that the Indian Government would agree with our determination that Chinese entities have made missile-related transfers to Pakistan.

“We believe that India should welcome the comprehensive and explicit assurances that China has given that no such cooperation (with Pakistan) will take place in the future.”

This is the first time that the USA has acknowledged that the Chinese missile-related transfers have been in Category-I (highest level) and included not only components and technology but also complete missiles.