Using the anti-terrorist hysteria whipped-up by the
monopoly-controlled media over the last two weeks, Clinton,
Chieftain of U.S. imperialism, signed into law yet another act to
punish other countries for doing business with states that U.S.
imperialism does not like, in this case Iran and Libya. The new
legislation is similar to the Helms-Burton law that attacks
companies and countries around the world that have business
relations with Cuba.
Clinton created a media event by holding the signing in the
Oval Office flanked by families that have lost relatives in various
acts termed "terrorist" by the U.S. imperialists. He singled out
Iran and Libya as "the most dangerous supporters of terrorism in
the world." The new law imposes sanctions against any company,
including non-U.S. ones, that invests $40 million or more a year
in oil and gas projects in the two countries.
The international news agencies report that the reaction in
Europe was immediate, sharp and furious. "We reaffirm our
determination to ensure that French interests are not affected and
that any damage does not go without retaliation," French Foreign
Ministry spokesperson Yves Doutriaux warned. He told the Americans
that France and the 15-nation European Union would "strike back"
against both the Helms-Burton law and the new one. He said further,
"We reaffirm our determination to ensure that French interests are
not affected and that any damage does not go without retaliation."
He described the French position, "as a matter of principle for
France and its European partners."
The German Economics Minister, Guenter Rexrodt, said in a
statement, "Threatening to impose extra-territorial sanctions
against European companies investing in these countries...is the
wrong path." A spokesperson for the German government called the
new law "in breach of an international law and of agreements
reached under the World Trade Organization."
The British Foreign Office announced that the British
government was consulting with other governments of the European
Union (EU) and mentioned that retaliatory sanctions were being
prepared by the EU.
The European Commission (EC), which is the organization
responsible for the EU's trade relations, said in a statement that
the new U.S. law aimed at Libya and Iran was "unwelcome. It
establishes the unwelcome principle that one country can dictate
the foreign policy of others." In anticipation of Clinton signing
the new bill the EC had already drafted a series of measures aimed
at countering the U.S. legislation. These EC measures essentially
forbid EU companies from cooperating with such laws, both the
Helms-Burton Act and the new law. Sir Leon Brittan from Britain,
who is vice-president of the EC, added his voice to the criticism
of the new U.S. law stating "We do not believe...the law goes in
the right direction. It establishes the unwelcome principle that
one country can dictate the foreign policy of others."
The Libyan news agency JANA said in an editorial that the new
U.S. law "underlines American policy based on narrow self-interests
which has hurt and will certainly hurt the interests of the
American people in particular, and those it calls its allies in
general."
Clinton has used the crash of the TWA flight 800 and the bomb
blast in Atlanta to intensify U.S. imperialism's propaganda against
what they call "rogue" states, those states that are attempting to
steer an independent path outside of U.S. control. The U.S.
imperialists are also openly accusing Iran of being responsible for
the recent bombing of a U.S. military installation in Saudi Arabia.
The new legislation is part of U.S. imperialism's campaign for
a unipolar world under its dictate. They wish to control the
business activity of other countries.Their military presence and
domination of the strategic Persian Gulf, and their control of the
main source of the world's oil throughout the Middle East are
crucial for the success of their plans to weaken their imperialist
competitors and increase their own grip on Asia. This activity has
brought them into sharp conflict with other imperialists, in
particular those in Europe. The bitter words from Germany and
France, and the increasingly annoyed tone from Britain indicates
that the contradictions with U.S. imperialism are rapidly becoming
acute.
Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
