Wednesday, February 04, 2009

AP – World News, Washington, Feb 2, 2009 – The Obama administration said Monday it has imposed sanctions on companies in North Korea, China and Iran for violating U.S. law aimed at stopping the spread of missiles and other weapons technology.
The penalties were the first of their kind from the new U.S. administration and signaled a willingness to continue the Bush administration’s tough stance on weapons proliferation.
The sanctions, while largely symbolic, come at a sensitive time in two key U.S. diplomatic efforts. The United States relies on Chinese leverage in international negotiations to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programs. The Obama administration also needs the help of China, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, to deter Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.
The measures were in the works for some time, but Obama officials signed off on them after the new president took office and announced them in Monday’s Federal Register. They bar the companies from trade with the United States that they were not likely involved in.
The Iranian companies are Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group and Shahid Hemmat Industrial