to only us and our friends, which are not the same ones as we profess in public.

And what about US companies bowing to Chinese whims?

Arseholes....

So long as they first get rid of inspections they carry out on US nationals inside America, otherwise they are hypocrites. Lets not forget China as well.

Two words: Retroactive. Immunity.

Put your own house in order first.

Presumably they're assumed to already be in compliance with the nightmarish forests of US trade compliance laws, ITAR regs., etc. When my employer was taken over by a US corp, we had to drop several Iranian customers, literally at a couple of hours' notice. "FAIL" because that's what US trade regs are all about...

... or should that be "Senatards"?

Just shows how incompetent politicians can be. They can't even hire someone to explain to them which company is involved.

Why not America firms? Simple, that would reduce revenue for American firms who aren't competitive on a global scale. Same protectionist shite that America constantly tries to utilise to maximise profits at home whilst making others open their markets to American firms.

Lets be sensible about this. The technology that was shipped is complying to international standards. Are the Americans now suggesting one mobile network for them and a different one for everyone else? Oh wait.....

> We're not sure why US firms are not also being identified.

My understanding is that US firms can't sell to Iran anyway - or not without prior government approval.

So either there are no bad US firms because they didn't get approval, OR the bad US firms had US government approval and punishing them would make the US government look bad.

What about all the US firms that cooperate with authorities to install eavesdropping facilities in their products? Anyone remember the alleged NSA backdoor in Windows? Probably any telco or manufacturer of equipment for same?

Reminds me of one redneck senator/congressman interviewed on British TV at the start of the Iraq conflict saying France wasn't a proper country because it didn't have any aircraft carriers.

The interviewer then pointed out that, actually, the French had more than the UK did but this shot across the bows didn't seem to make a difference to the argument.

Really? Surely you know how this works by now. US Senators routinely propose legislation to benefit US firms at the expense of everyone else.

And of course, US government snooping on US citizens using US equipment is perfectly fine. In fact, if the Iranian government snooping was done with US equipment, that would likely be dandy too.

George, for obvious reasons.

Wouldn't have anything to do with protectionism by any chance ?

I think we should boycott all countries whose ruling bodies talk before they understand what they are saying.

Because spying on people is standard protocol throughout the western world

...not typical US-American, then I don't know what is.

Paris, because even she can't help it having such Senators

is this like the case of Terry Childs, being punished for doing something how it is meant to be done?

It's the US Dept. of the Treasury OFAC. The Dept of Commerce has the BIS (Bureau of Industry and Security). OFAC handle sanctions programs (can't trade anything) and BIS handles trade export restrictions (some things can be exported no problem, some things can't. But if they can't there might be a license exception, or you might be able to apply for an export license. Unless the OFAC has decided to do something without telling anyone else. Or the US Customs and Border Protection has decided to prosecute someone and the conviction sets a precident for applying existing law).

Try reading the whole of the sanctions overview I posted the link to and see how your brain feels after that! (please stop my job, I want to get off).

>>they refer to "Nokia and Siemens" - while it was Nokia Siemens Networks which provided >>mobile kit to Iran. NSN is an entirely separate firm.

Not really 'entirely separate' - wholly owned by Nokia and Siemens between them IIRC, NSN financials are reported via Nokia.

Um, then there won't be any country or company I can buy things from...

Let's pass a law to make arrogant brainless demagogic twats illegal.

And telecomms hardware suppliers *incorporate* this in their equipment.

Some of which is sold to (and used by) people with odd ideas about government and the powers of the state.

Who knew?

Because they aren't allowed to sell to Iran at all.

I will be building a rocket to the moon in my garden for the foreseeable future.