Friday, June 26, 2009

Senators Target Iran With Tech Bills

Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will soon introduce legislation to sanction any company that sells sensitive technology aiding the Iranian regime in monitoring or blocking the Internet connections or cellular phone conversations of protesters. The bill, which will be filed in the coming days, would require the Obama administration to identify foreign firms that export certain equipment to Iran and those companies would be barred from applying for contracts with the U.S. government, or renewing expiring ones, unless they first terminated those exports.

That requirement could be waived if the president determines such a waiver would be in the national interest of the United State but he would have to report to Congress on the reasons for the waiver. "It is utterly outrageous that Western companies sell equipment that allows the Iranian government to spy on their citizens, prevent communications between citizens and thwart any type of uprising against the regime," Schumer said in a press release. "This legislation is going to crack down on these companies so that we can do our part in preventing this regime from controlling the Iranian people."

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the systems used by Iran to spy on its citizens and stifle communications were installed by Nokia and Siemens. According to a federal spending Web site, Siemens has almost 2,000 contracts with the U.S. government, including 300 contracts with the Pentagon as well as other deals with the Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department, and the Department of Energy. The deals total over $250 million in 2009 alone. The joint venture, Nokia Siemens Networks, has at least six contracts with the U.S. government, totaling $5 million.

Separately, Schumer and Graham urged Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to press European Union officials at the upcoming G-8 summit to step up efforts to restrict the sale of monitoring equipment to Iran. Following the Chinese government's crackdown on protestors at Tiananmen Square, Congress passed a law limiting sales to China of tools or technology that could be used for the purposes of suppression. "Companies that provide technology to the Iranian regime to control the Internet must be forced to pay a heavy price," Graham said. "While strong statements made in support of the Iranian people are critically important, it is equally important to have strong action to aid their cause."

On Thursday Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman announced that he will join and Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Graham to offer seperate legislation after the July 4 recess to expand TV and radio broadcasting into Iran and "prevent the Iranian regime from slamming shut the virtual door to the rest of the world provided by the Internet." The bill would help counter the Iranian government's efforts by boosting support for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Farsi-language radio station and the Voice of America's Persian News Network. It would also help ensure the Iranian people have access to other technologies including social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and cellular phone networks.