US sanctions imposed on Russian companies

The United States has announced the introduction of economic 
sanctions against Russian, Belorussian and Ukrainian companies 
because it is claimed they delivered missile technologies 
relating to nuclear weapons to Iran.

The US administration claims that 14 commercial companies in 
Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, India, China, the Democratic People's 
Republic of Korea and Spain have broken a US law which bans 
deliveries to Iran of technologies, goods and services, which 
violate the regime of the non-proliferation of weapons of mass 
destruction and their means of delivery. The sanctions have been 
applied for a term of two years.

This is yet another high-handed action by the United States which 
demands that other countries should obey laws that have been 
adopted in the US.

Instead of denouncing this situation the Russian Duma 
international affairs committee chairman Konstantin Kosachyov 
weakly expressed the hope that the United States would provide 
specific evidence concerning the Russian enterprise it accuses of 
smuggling nuclear technology into Iran.

The White House has used similar sanctions against other Russian 
enterprises in the past.

"However", said Konstantin Kosachyov, "in not a single case has 
the US offered our country any proof of the validity of their 
allegations of violations of the international agreement on the 
non-proliferation of nuclear technologies.

"If the Americans fail to provide specific proof this time as 
well, we will be forced, as in previous instances, to regard 
these actions by the US as groundless and as a factor in 
dishonest competition", he said.

US eyes on Caucasus

The sanctions are part of the US leaders' plans to disrupt and 
surround the Russian Federation and stir up trouble in the oil 
rich region of the Caucasus. The US is to massively increase its 
military aid to Georgia.

About 4000 Georgian soldiers are to be trained and equipped by 
the US over the next year. Georgia's Defence Minister announced 
this on his return from talks with US Defence Secretary, Donald 
Rumsfeld in the USA.

They also held talks on "removing" Russian military bases from 
Georgia. This issue is said to have "topped the agenda".