Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Sunday, December 26, 2010
NYT: Inouye pushes Exemption from Terror Embargo after $2000 contribution
By Selected News Articles @ 8:16 PM :: 10682 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics, World News, Family

(This story will pop up in the local media any day now….)

NYT: U.S. Approved Business With Blacklisted Nations

Several … American businesses were permitted to deal with foreign companies believed to be involved in terrorism or weapons proliferation. In one such case, involving equipment bought by a medical waste disposal plant in Hawaii, the government was preparing to deny the license until an influential politician intervened. (And who might that be?  See next item….)

  *   *   *   *   *

NYT: Hawaii Medical Vitrification

This license involved a medical-waste disposal plant in Honolulu called Hawaii Medical Vitrification. On July 28, 2003, the plant’s owner, Samuel Liu, ordered 200 graphite electrodes from a Chinese government-owned company, China Precision Machinery Import Export Corporation. In an interview, Mr. Liu said he had chosen the company because the electrodes available in the United States were harder to find and more expensive

Two days later, the Bush administration barred American citizens from doing business with the Chinese company, which had already been penalized repeatedly for providing missile technology to Pakistan and Iran.

By the time Customs seized the electrodes on Nov. 5, waste was piling up in the sun. Nor did prospects look good for Mr. Liu’s application to the licensing office seeking to do an end run around the sanctions. On Nov. 21, a State Department official, Ralph Palmiero, recommended that the agency deny the request since the sanctions explicitly mandated the "termination of existing contracts" like Mr. Liu’s. "The penalties are clear in this case," Mr. Palmiero wrote, "and the responsibility rests with OFAC to implement the import ban."

That is when Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s office stepped in. While his electrodes were at sea, Mr. Liu had made his first political contribution ever, giving the senator’s campaign $2,000. Mr. Liu says the timing was coincidental, that he was simply feeling more politically inclined. Records show that an Inouye aide called the licensing office on Mr. Liu’s behalf the same day that Mr. Palmiero recommended denying the application. The senator himself wrote two days later.

Mr. Inouye’s spokesman, Peter Boylan, said the contribution had "no impact whatsoever" on the senator’s actions, which he said were motivated solely by concern for the community’s health and welfare. The pressure appears to have worked. The following day, the licensing office’s director at the time asked the State Department to reconsider in an e-mail that prominently noted the senator’s interest. A few days later, the State Department found that the purchase qualified for a special “medical and humanitarian” exception. The license was issued Dec. 10.

Two months later, Mr. Liu sent the senator another $2,000 contribution, the maximum allowable. Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levey said he could not comment on the details of a decision predating his tenure. But he noted that sanctions against the Chinese company had since been toughened, and added, “Certainly this transaction wouldn’t be authorized today.”

*   *   *   *   *

UANI Logo
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 24, 2010
Contact: Kimmie Lipscomb,
press@uani.com
Phone: (212) 554-3296


UANI Calls on U.S. Regulated Companies to End Business in Iran on the Basis of Unwarranted Trade Licenses


New York, NY - United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) today called on U.S. companies to end business in Iran on the basis of unwarranted trade licenses.  A New York Times investigation, published today, revealed that American companies have abused humanitarian trade exemptions for short-term financial gain.  All responsible corporations must refuse to do business in Iran.    

The U.S. Government also should tighten loopholes and only grant licenses to companies to conduct business in Iran that address real humanitarian and medical needs. 

In a statement, UANI President Ambassador Mark D. Wallace said:

All responsible companies should end their business in Iran.  Only on the basis of compelling humanitarian and/or medical reasons should U.S. regulated companies trade with Iran.  Chewing gum, popcorn, and soda do not fall within such exceptions.  Such companies trading these non-essential products should immediately cease their business with Iran. 

Responsible corporations such as General Electric have partnered with UANI to commit to ending all non-humanitarian business in Iran.  General Electric signed UANI's Iran Business Declaration and provides to charity all proceeds from humanitarian business in Iran.  We call on all U.S. companies to follow suit.  

###

Click here to read The New York Times investigative report

Click here to learn more about GE's partnership with UANI
Click here to learn more about the Iran Business Declaration

HA:  Medical waste site worries legislative task force  12-12-2003

HI DoH:   HAWAII MEDICAL VITRIFICATION SUBJECT TO ENFORCEMENT ACTION  5-28-2004

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT