PrintIndian company gives boost to our Iranian policy
American Thinker has taken note of a rising young Republican Congressman from Illinois, Mark Kirk, in the recent past (full disclosure- I am a supporter and reside in his Congressional district). Mark Kirk has been a leader in many areas, but one in particular warrants attention now: national security.
Congressman Kirk is well-versed on Middle East issues (he flew over Iraq in the first Gulf War and just returned from Afghanistan after serving with his unit in the Naval Reserves) and I have heard him give an analysis on Iran that would put full-fledged Iranian experts to shame. One of his signature accomplishments has been bringing to light the vulnerability of the Iranian regime to a halt in the imports of refined oil. Despite being a major oil exporter, Iran has yet to develop its own refinery system to meet the gasoline and heating oil needs of its own citizens. Cold winters have exacerbated the problem for Iranians who are dependent on heating oil to keep warm.
Only a few major trading firms supply Iran with its refined oil. One of these has been Reliance industries of India. Today brings welcome news that the efforts of Congressman Kirk (and others) have borne fruit: Reliance has announced that it will stop the export of refined oil products to Iran
This follows a letter written by eight US Congressmen to that country's Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank) asking it to immediately suspend all financial assistance to RIL until the company agrees to stop selling gasoline to Iran…
The four-page letter was signed by Congressmen Brad Sherman, Mark Steven Kirk, Howard L Berman, Edward R Royce, Steve Israel, Steven R Rothman, Ron Klein and Gary Ackerman.
The letter from the House of Representative members follows another sent by Senators Joe Lieberman and Jon Kyl early November, who also raised similar concerns about Ex-Im Bank's ties with RIL.
The deal signed by President Bush and India regarding nuclear cooperation also was believed to have played a role in persuading the Indian government and business interests within India to cooperate on this issue with Iran.
Iran is particularly vulnerable at this time. The nation has had to institute gas rationing and have cut subsidies that have kept gas somewhat affordable to the increasingly strained and disaffected Iranians. There has been a plethora of recent articles describing increasingly dire economic conditions in Iran (the collapse of oil prices plus gross mismanagement of the economy).
The halt to exports of oil from Reliance Industries will serve to highlight the mess that the current regime in Iran has brought its people. There is an election coming up in Iran in a few months and this decision by Reliance will clearly not help the current regime headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stay in power.
