Senate Votes To Impose Even More Sanctions On Iran

[Purveyor]

(01-28) 18:49 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The Senate voted Thursday night to strengthen existing sanctions against Iran and impose new ones aimed at its gasoline supplies as part of the U.S. effort to dissuade Tehran from pursuing nuclear weapons and cracking down on internal dissent.

"We have all watched the Iranian regime oppress its own people on the streets of Iran and continue to defy the international community on nuclear issues," Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a statement following a voice vote that approved the bill. "That is why it is so important that we move this legislation forward quickly."

The measure would extend sanctions to oil and gas pipelines and tankers and impose new sanctions on imports to Iran of certain refined petroleum products.

It also would expand sanctions to cover a range of financial institutions and businesses; impose a broad ban on direct imports from Iran to the U.S. and exports from the U.S. to Iran, exempting food and medicines, and require the Obama administration to freeze the assets of Iranians, including Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, who are active in weapons proliferation or terrorism.

"The Iranian regime has engaged in serious human rights abuses against its own citizens, funded terrorist activity throughout the Middle East and pursued illicit nuclear activities posing a serious threat to the security of the United States and our allies," Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., a sponsor of the measure, said in a statement. "With passage of this bill, we make it clear that there will be appropriate consequences if these actions continue."

Iran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/28/national/w184904S45.DTL#ixzz0dycpAbQE

[Meldread]

1. Why are they targeting gas?

We want to impose sanctions that target the regime not the people, because we run the risk of turning the people against us. I'm not saying it won't have the desired effect, as it could cause increased civil unrest, but at the same time it's a gamble. We do not want to be blamed when the Revolution ultimately overthrows the regime. We want to be on the side of the Revolution this time, so we can help break down barriers between our nations. At least once a newly elected democratic government takes the place of the regime. Or somehow find ways to nudge it in that direction.

[Ildem09]

2. Sanctions work so well against countries

Like Cuba, North Korea etc. oooh and where do we get off on our nuclear superiority. if we can have them.. then every other country should too. if we get rid of ours alll of them then we can talk about taking the high road

[emilyg]

3. Iran won't care.

[Chulanowa]

4. Pretty much all the evidence lies with Iran's claim of seeking energy

So then... won't restricting the gasoline imported to iran make the demand for alternative energy sources greater and thus encourage more development of nuclear power?