DATE= 10/02/97
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10375
TITLE=THE FRENCH NATURAL GAS DEAL WITH IRAN
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: A HUGE NATURAL GAS EXPLOITATION DEAL BETWEEN A FRENCH
ENERGY COMPANY AND THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN HAS EMBROILED
THE UNITED STATES IN YET ANOTHER TRADE DISAGREEMENT.
THE TWO-BILLION-DOLLAR DEAL, ANNOUNCED MONDAY BY THE
FRENCH OIL COMPANY TOTAL, COULD ACTIVATE A 1996 U-S LAW
THAT CALLS FOR PUNISHING ANY FOREIGN COMPANY THAT SPENDS
MORE THAN 40-MILLION DOLLARS IN THE IRANIAN OIL AND GAS
INDUSTRY.
U-S NEWSPAPERS GENERALLY SUGGEST THAT THIS IS NOT THE
TIME TO INVOKE SANCTIONS AGAINST BASICALLY FRIENDLY
COUNTRIES, INCLUDING FRANCE, WHO DO NOT AGREE WITH THE
U-S POSITION.
WE GET A SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT NOW FROM
__________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS TO STUDY
THE CONTRACT SIGNED BY THE FRENCH COMPANY WITH THE OIL
AND GAS MINISTRY OF IRAN. IN THE MEANTIME, FRENCH PRIME
MINISTER LIONEL JOSPIN DEFENDED THE DEAL, AND THE
EUROPEAN UNION IS SAYING U-S SANCTIONS COULD RESULT IN
TRADE RETALIATION.
A 1996 U-S ANTI-TERRORISM LAW MANDATES SANCTIONS AGAINST
ANY FOREIGN COMPANY THAT MAKES OTHER THAN SMALL
INVESTMENTS IN THE OIL INDUSTRIES OF IRAN OR LIBYA, TWO
NATIONS THAT THE U-S GOVERNMENT SAYS SPONSOR
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SAYS IT WILL RENEW ITS
EFFORTS TO PERSUADE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO JOIN THE U-S
BID TO ISOLATE IRAN BECAUSE OF THE THREAT THAT NATION
POSES TO REGIONAL PEACE. HOWEVER, IN THE EDITORIALS,
SEVERAL PAPERS NOTE THAT WITH THE RECENT ELECTION OF
MOHAMMAD KHATAMI, A SOMEWHAT REFORMIST PRESIDENT, THE
SITUATION IN IRAN IS IN FLUX, AND THIS IS NOT A TIME TO
USE A HEAVY DIPLOMATIC HAND.
WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING WITH THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, WHICH
SAYS IN PART:
VOICE: "THE UNITED STATES MAY BE HEADING TOWARD A NASTY
CONFRONTATION WITH ITS EUROPEAN ALLIES [OVER THE DEAL]
THAT WILL BENEFIT NO ONE. ..... WHAT'S NEEDED IS NOT
A FEUD AMONG PARTNERS OVER AN ISSUE OF SECONDARY
IMPORTANCE [,] BUT A COMMITTED EFFORT TO DEVISE A MORE
COOPERATIVE POLICY FOR DEALING WITH IRAN, A COUNTRY
THAT, WHOEVER GOVERNS IT, IS SIMPLY TOO IMPORTANT TO
IGNORE OR TRY TO ISOLATE. THE SANCTIONS POLICY LONG
PURSUED BY WASHINGTON HAS NOT BEEN NOTABLY SUCCESSFUL
IN ENCOURAGING CHANGES IN IRANIAN BEHAVIOR. NEITHER HAS
THE CONCILIATORY 'CRITICAL DIALOGUE' MORE RECENTLY TRIED
BY THE EUROPEANS. ..... AS THE TOTAL CASE SHOWS, THE
THREAT OF SANCTIONS TURNS OUT TO BE ESSENTIALLY
IMPRACTICAL WHEN LARGER ISSUES OF POLITICAL AND
STRATEGIC COMPLEXITY ARE AT STAKE."
TEXT: ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY, THE BOSTON GLOBE
AGREES.
VOICE: "AS A PRACTICAL MATTER .... TOTAL AND ITS RUSSIAN AND
MALAYSIAN PARTNERS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE U-S LAW
HAS NO DETERRENT EFFECT. TOTAL SOLD OFF ITS ONE
VULNERABLE U-S HOLDING JUST BEFORE CLOSING ITS
LONG-PREPARED DEAL WITH IRAN. HENCE, IT IS IMPERVIOUS
TO POSSIBLE SANCTIONS ..... THE PERILS EMANATING FROM
TEHRAN'S CLERICAL DESPOTISM ARE QUITE REAL. THE
LEADERS' PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS ULTIMATELY THREATENS FRENCH INTERESTS NO LESS
THAN U-S INTERESTS. THEIR MANY ACTS OF TERRORISM ON
EUROPEAN SOIL OUGHT TO HAVE MADE [PRIME MINISTER LIONEL]
JOSPIN LESS GLEEFUL ABOUT DOING BUSINESS WITH THEM.
NONETHELESS, RESENTMENT OVER U-S MEDDLING IN FOREIGN
TRADE IS MORE APT TO ENCOURAGE THAN TO DISCOURAGE
EUROPEAN DEALINGS WITH TEHRAN. THE UNITED STATES HAS A
BETTER CHANCE OF AFFECTING THE BEHAVIOR OF IRRESPONSIBLE
ALLIES IF IT TRIES THE CARROTS AND STICKS OF TRADITIONAL
STATECRAFT."
TEXT: THE NEW YORK TIMES SAYS THE DEAL IS "DOUBLY
UNFORTUNATE," BUT SUGGESTS AIMING THE SANCTIONS AT IRAN,
NOT FRANCE.
VOICE: "IT [THE DEAL] WILL PROVIDE NEW FUNDS TO A GOVERNMENT
THAT IS EXPORTING TERRORISM, DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS
AND DISRUPTING PEACE EFFORTS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE ARAB
WORLD. THE CONTRACT COULD ALSO TRIGGER THE FIRST
APPLICATION OF THE IRAN-LIBYA SANCTIONS ACT, AN
ILL-ADVISED LAW THAT ATTEMPTS TO IMPOSE AMERICAN
PENALTIES ON FOREIGN COMPANIES DOING ENERGY BUSINESS
WITH IRAN OF LIBYA. ..... FRANCE HAS ... UNHELPFULLY
APPOINTED ITSELF THE WORLD'S LEADING CHALLENGER OF
AMERICAN DIPLOMACY AND ECONOMIC IDEAS."
[OPT]
TEXT: ON LONG ISLAND, NEWSDAY, WARNS THAT IN THIS INSTANCE,
U-S POLICY IS "JUST NOT REALISTIC."
VOICE: "A FRENCH AGREEMENT WITH IRAN TO EXPLORE IRANIAN NATURAL
GAS FIELDS IS NOT THE RIGHT SUBJECT, NOR IS THIS THE
RIGHT TIME, FOR INVOKING AMERICAN LAWS AIMED AT
ISOLATING IRAN.... THE FRENCH ARE BEING THEIR USUAL
OBSTINATE, DIFFICULT SELVES.... BUT MANY MIDEAST
EXPERTS BELIEVE THE SITUATION MAY BE CHANGING SO
FUNDAMENTALLY IN IRAN THAT NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR A
MAJOR CONFRONTATION, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT WOULD DAMAGE
THE [WESTERN] ALLIANCE."
[END OPT]
TEXT: THE WASHINGTON POST SAYS PRESIDENT CLINTON'S HAND IS
BEING FORCED TO INVOKE THE PENALTY, BUT IF HE DOES, IT
WILL BE NO VICTORY.
VOICE: "IT WAS EITHER THAT OR, BY PULLING BACK, TO INVITE A
PAINFUL BLOW TO [U-S] INTEREST AND PRIDE. TO MOVE
AHEAD, THOUGH, MAY TURN OUT TO BE NO LESS STRESSFUL,
SINCE IT INVOLVES INVOKING PUNITIVE SANCTIONS NOT
AGAINST ADVERSARIES BUT AGAINST SOME OF WASHINGTON'S
CLOSEST ALLIES. ....... THE DETERIORATION OF THIS
DISPUTE INTO OPEN POLITICAL CONFLICT AMONG ALLIES IS A
MAJOR MARK AGAINST AMERICAN DIPLOMACY."
TEXT: ON THAT UNIFORMLY DISMAL FORECAST REGARDING THIS LATEST
TRADE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE U-S AND -- BY PROXY -- IRAN,
WE CONCLUDE THIS U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
NEB/ANG/RRM
02-Oct-97 1:28 PM EDT (1728 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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