SANCTIONS ON IRAN ARE CONDEMNED TO FAIL

CHINA SELLS IRAN HI-TECH SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM DEFYING US SANCTIONS?

Published: 23 March, 2012 [HERE ONLY EXTRACTS]
http://www.rt.com/news/chinese-iran-sanctions-surveillance-251/

Iran’s largest telecom company has obtained a powerful surveillance system from a Chinese manufacturer. Despite the boycott from Western companies, Tehran will be able to monitor landline, mobile and Internet communications of potential dissidents.
¬
The deal between the China-based ZTE Corporation and the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) was signed back in December 2010. As Reuters says in its comprehensive report, the system was part of a $130.6 million contract for networking equipment supplied by ZTE.TCI is predominantly state-controlled and has a near monopoly on Iran’s landline telephone services, as well as having much of the country’s Internet traffic flowing through its network.

Perhaps, the most intriguing implication of the ZTE-TCI deal is the backdoor route it provides Iran for obtaining American hi-tech products despite the US ban on non-humanitarian sales to Iran. The documentation pertaining to the deal lists hardware and software products from a number of renowned American companies, including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Cisco, Dell and others.

ZTE, China's second largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, is also a partner of a number of American firms. Some of these companies have denied any knowledge of the ZTE-TCI deal, while several have said in statements that they were launching internal investigations into the issue.

==================

'SANCTIONS AND FORCE AGAINST IRAN ILLOGICAL AND NAIVE' – BRITISH MP
http://www.rt.com/news/baron-interview-iran-peace-519/
Published: 14 March, 2012 [HERE ONLY EXTRACTS]

The West should accept Iran as a legitimate ‘regional superpower’ and drop ‘yesterdays’ rehashed policies of sanctions and military force, a British MP told RT. ¬Talking to RT, John Baron, the only UK Conservative MP to vote against military action in Libya, called the potential use of force against Iran “illogical and naive.” He further characterized the Western use of sanctions as “yesterday's failed policies.”

“Iran is not going to be deterred from pursuing its nuclear program,” he said. “It is illogical because we are keeping an option on the table which clearly inflames the situation. People know it would be a disaster if we pursued the option of force. It is not working – the Iranians have turned their mind against it, but at the same time it is an option which makes a peaceful outcome less likely.”

Baron’s motion to the UK government, however, was almost unanimously rejected amid fears Iran could strike first in the region. But, he argues, by taking the option of a peaceful resolution off the table, Britain only reduces regional tensions in the short term. The situation really needs a fresh approach from both sides, as many opportunities to better relations have already been lost.

“After 9/11, Iran was one of the first to show solidarity with the US,” he says, “in contrast to many in the Middle East. Also in the early stages of the Afghan war, Iran made approaches. What was their reward? To be classed as part of the "Axis of Evil" by President Bush. This led directly to the removal of the reformist and moderate President Khatami.”

But, he also says Iran was also wrong to turn their back on President Obama’s initial overtures.
“I am not an apologist for Iran’s human rights record, or its sponsoring of terrorism overseas,” Baron said. “But we’ve got to view and judge it in a balanced way”.

The policy of sabre-rattling and sanctions against Iran has clearly failed, he added.
“Iran is now toying with what it is – actually bringing forward an oil embargo which was imposed by the EU It certainly will bring it forward when it comes to France and the UK.”

=============