DATE=4/16/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43151
TITLE=IRAN / OIL SANCTIONS
BYLINE=NEJLA SAMMAKIA
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO: AMERICAN OIL COMPANIES ARE STEPPING UP THEIR CALL FOR AN 
END TO THE U-S EMBARGO AGAINST IRAN, SAYING THAT IT HURTS U-S 
INTERESTS AND GIVES AN ADVANTAGE TO FOREIGN OIL COMPANIES.  BUT 
AS NEJLA SAMMAKIA REPORTS, THE UNITED STATES HAS SO FAR BEEN 
UNWILLING TO ALTER ITS POLICIES.

TEXT:  FOR THE PAST YEAR, THE MOBIL OIL COMPANY HAS BEEN 
PRESSURING THE U-S GOVERNMENT TO LIFT SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN, AND
IN RECENT WEEKS MOBIL HAS REPEATED ITS REQUEST FOR PERMISSION 
FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO BEGIN NEGOTIATING DEALS WITH IRAN, PENDING
THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS.  OTHER U-S COMPANIES ARE GOING FURTHER.
THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BEGUN NEGOTIATING OIL DEALS WITH TEHRAN, 
CONTINGENT ON THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS.

ATLANTIC RICHFIELD, A CALIFORNIA-BASED OIL COMPANY, IS NOW 
NEGOTIATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME OILFIELDS IN IRAN.  IN AN 
INTERVIEW WITH VOA, THE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER OF ATLANTIC 
RICHFIELD, LINDA DOZIER, SAYS THE COMPANY HAS HAD PRODUCTIVE 
CONVERSATIONS WITH IRAN, BUT STRESSED IT HAS KEPT THE U-S 
GOVERNMENT FULLY ADVISED OF ALL ITS ACTIVITIES. 

                         //DOZIER ACT//

         WE'D CHARACTERIZE OUR ACTIVITY IN TEHRAN AS AN 
         EXPRESSION OF INTEREST SUBJECT TO LIFTING OF SANCTIONS. 
         WE HAVE SPECIFIED SOME PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD BE VERY 
         INTERESTED IN, BUT WITH THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT IT 
         WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE LIFTING OF THE U-S SANCTIONS... 

                           //END ACT//

THE UNITED STATES IMPOSED THE UNILATERAL ECONOMIC EMBARGO AGAINST
IRAN IN 1995 IN RETALIATION FOR IRAN'S ALLEGED SUPPORT OF 
TERRORISM, OPPOSITION TO THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS AND 
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. 

HOWEVER, WASHINGTON  SIGNALLED A WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE ITS POLICY
TOWARD IRAN AFTER THE ELECTION OF MOHAMED KHATAMI, CONSIDERED A 
MODERATE, AS PRESIDENT IN 1997.  THE UNITED STATES  RELAXED ITS 
RULES ON TRAVEL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE., AND   SECRETARY OF STATE 
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT LAST JUNE EXPRESSED HOPE FOR A NEW "ROAD MAP 
LEADING TO NORMAL RELATIONS" WITH IRAN.

IT IS REMARKS LIKE THIS THAT HAVE RAISED THE HOPES OF U-S OIL 
COMPANIES.  GARY SICK, WHO TEACHES MIDDLE EAST POLITICS AT 
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK, SAYS THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST
IN CONGRESS AND AMONG  U-S BUSINESS INTERESTS FOR AN END TO THE 
EMBARGO. 

                          //SICK ACT//

         MORE AND MORE AMERICAN COMPANIES ARE ANXIOUS TO GO IN 
         AND AT LEAST TALK TO IRAN ABOUT THE KINDS OF CONTACTS 
         THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, THE KINDS OF DEVELOPMENT 
         PROJECTS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE IF, AND WHEN, THE 
         SANCTIONS ARE LIFTED. THERE IS NO SIGN AT THIS POINT 
         THAT THE UNITED STATES IS CONSIDERING LIFTING THOSE 
         SANCTIONS BUT THE PRESSURE IS CLEARLY GROWING.

                          //END ACT// 

MR SICK, WHO ALSO RUNS GULF 2000, A RESEARCH AND INTERNET 
DOCUMENTATION CENTER ON THE PERSIAN GULF, SAYS HE HAS NOTICED A 
SUBTLE SHIFT IN THE U-S GOVERNMENT'S POLITICAL STATEMENTS ABOUT 
IRAN.   

                        //SICK ACT TWO//

         WE  NO  LONGER USE DISPARAGING WORDS IN TALKING ABOUT 
         IRAN... SO THE WORDS HAVE IMPROVED, BUT IN FACT THE LAWS
         ALL REMAIN ON THE BOOKS.  SO I THINK THERE IS SOME 
         GENERAL BELIEF THAT ITS POSSIBLE THAT THE SANCTIONS 
         REGIME IS  NOT GOING TO BE PERMANENT.

                          //END ACT// 

AMERICAN-IRANIAN HUSHANG AMIR AHMADI SAYS HE IS OPTIMISTIC AN END
TO THE SANCTIONS IS IN SIGHT.  MR AHMADI, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE
AMERICAN-IRANIAN COUNCIL, A GROUP OF BUSINESSMEN, POLICY MAKERS 
AND ACADEMICS, SAYS IRAN ALSO WANTS IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH 
WASHINGTON. 

                         //AHMADI ACT //

         I THINK THE MIND-SET IN BOTH SIDES, THEREFORE, IS IN THE
         DIRECTION OF NORMALIZING RELATIONS BUT THEN AGAIN, THE 
         ROAD AHEAD WILL BE QUITE BUMPY AND IT WILL TAKE SOME 
         TIME, PATIENCE, HARD WORK, AND I THINK WISDOM OF COURSE,
         ON BOTH SIDES. THE WILLINGNESS SEEMS TO BE THERE, 
         INCREASINGLY MORE SO THAN IN THE PAST.  AND THAT IS THE 
         SIGN OF HOPE  

                          //END ACT// 

MR. AHMADI SPECULATES THAT THE UNITED STATES MIGHT BE RELUCTANT 
TO COMMIT TO CLOSER RELATIONS BECAUSE PRESIDENT KHATAMI FACES 
OPPOSITION FROM INFLUENTIAL HARDLINERS IN TEHRAN THAT COULD 
CONSTRAIN HIM FROM OFFERING OVERTURES TO THE UNITED STATES. 

THERE IS ALSO CONCERN AMONG SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ABOUT MOVING
TOO FAST TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH TEHRAN.

REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN BENJAMIN GILMAN (N-Y) AND DEMOCRAT SAM 
GEJDENSON (CT) HAVE WRITTEN TO PRESIDENT CLINTON, SAYING THAT THE
UNITED STATES HAS DONE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO SHOW ITS WILLINGNESS 
TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH IRAN.  ACCORDING TO THEM, IT IS TIME 
IRAN RESPONDED TO POLITICAL GESTURES FROM THE UNITED STATES.  
THEY SAY IRANIAN SENIOR OFFICIALS HAVE REBUFFED AN AMERICAN OFFER
FOR HIGH-LEVEL TALKS AND THAT IRAN IS CONTINUING TO TEST 
LONG-RANGE MISSILES AND HAS SHOWN NO SIGN OF STOPPING ITS  
SUPPORT OF TERRORISM. 

U-S OIL COMPANY OFFICIALS SAY, FOR THEIR PART, ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
HAVE PROVEN INEFFECTIVE IN CHANGING THE BEHAVIOR OF GOVERNMENTS. 
MOBIL CHAIRMAN  LUCIO NOTO HAS SAID THE UNITED STATES SHOULD TURN
TO "LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT," NOT EMBARGOES,  TO HANDLE ITS PROBLEMS
WITH IRAN.  (SIGNED)

NEB/NS/KL

16-Apr-99 1:05 PM EDT (1705 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.