A U.S. congressman asked investigators to look into a reported increase in U.S.-Iran trade.
Earlier this year, The Associated Press reported that U.S. trade with Iran increased to some $150 million in 2007 from $8 million in 2001. The increase included tens of thousands of dollars in armaments exports, although the U.S. government later explained that it mistakenly had listed “Iran” for military shipments to “Iraq” and “Italy.”
Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), the Jewish chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, joined Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) in asking the General Accounting Office, Congress’ investigative arm, to look into the increase.
“The revelations in the AP article are deeply disturbing, particularly at a time when Iran continues to pursue its nuclear program in defiance of the will of the international community,” said the letter sent Monday to the GAO.
The lawmakers also want an explanation as to how arms shipments came to be mistakenly labeled as heading for Iran.
“Is the U.S., in fact, selling military equipment to Iran?” the letter asks. “If not, what is the explanation for recording errors indicating that such sales did, in fact, take place? Why was nobody aware of the recording errors until the AP story appeared?”
U.S. sales to Iran are approved under humanitarian and agricultural exceptions to sanctions laws.
