December 1995, Pages 22-26

Issues in the News

Compiled by Shawn L. Twing

ARABIAN PENINSULA

Bahrain

Bahrain Signs $136 Million Mitsubishi Deal:

Bahrain and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Company concluded on Sept. 28 a $136 million deal to build a urea plant in Bahrain with a production capacity of 17,000 tons per day. The agreement was signed by Bahrain's Minister of Oil and Industry and chairman of the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Corporation, Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, and Mitsubishi managing director Toshiaki Ito. Sheikh Isa expressed his appreciation for the role played by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the other two shareholders in the GPIC, and announced that the company had repaid all of its debt and had paid its shareholders a 20 percent dividend.

Commerce Minister Announces Plan to Develop Stock Market:

Bahrain's Minister of Commerce Ali Saleh Al Saleh announced on Oct. 7 plans to create a stock market in Bahrain as part of his country's new five-year plan to boost the island's economy. Local newspapers carried the minister's remarks, which included plans to increase incentives to local investors and to develop and improve the country's service industry. Mr. Saleh added that he hoped to remove bureaucratic and other obstacles to foreign companies operating in Bahrain.

Kuwait

Kuwait Takes Delivery of U.S. Tanks:

Kuwait received 16 U.S.-made Abrams main battle tanks on Sept. 25, the first installment of an $11 billion effort to improve the country's defenses. The tanks are the first of 218 ordered from General Dynamics Systems Division in 1993 at a cost of $2 billion. The remainder will be delivered in December. The tanks are modified versions of the M1-A1 Abrams used by U.S. forces during the 1991 Gulf war and will replace the aging M-84, a Yugoslav version of the Soviet T-72 main battle tank used previously by Kuwait.

Oman

Oman Seeks $6 Billion for Gas Project:

Oman is looking to the international market in November to fund its proposed $6 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, according to general manager Tony Hanna of the Oman LNG company. Oman LNG, a 51 percent government-owned company, will seek 70 percent financing for $3.5 billion of the company's expenditures, with the remainder to be financed with equity. Partners in Oman LNG are Royal Dutch/Shell Group Overseas Trading Ltd (34 percent), Total SA (6 percent), Partex Oman Corporation (2 percent), Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui and Company Ltd (each has 3 percent), and Itochu Corporation (1 percent). The project, due for completion in the year 2000, is estimated to increase Oman's oil and gas revenues by 20 percent.

Oman, India to Sign Gas Deal:

India intends to sign an agreement with Oman in December to import 56 million cubic meters a day of natural gas for 20 years, according to Indian Oil Minister Satish Sharma. The agreement, originally scheduled to be signed in September, was delayed partly because India requested assurances from Oman that it could deliver the gas for the duration of the contract. Oman and India signed a memorandum of understanding last year making Oman responsible for building a $5 billion underwater pipeline to transport the gas to India. Technical difficulties associated with building and maintaining the pipeline 3,000 meters below sea level have led to renewed interest in transporting the gas in LNG-carrying tankers. Sharma said that both options remain open. India also plans to import 60 million cubic meters per day from Iran via pipeline to help meet its estimated 240 million cubic meters per day future demand.

Qatar

Qatar, South Korea Sign 25-Year Gas Deal:

Qatar signed an agreement with South Korea on Oct. 16 to supply 2.4 million tons of liquefied natural gas to Korea annually for 25 years beginning in 1999. The agreement, the product of three years of negotiations between the two countries, was signed by Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG Corporation (Rasgas) and Korean Gas Corporation. Rasgas is owned 70 percent by Qatar General Petroleum Company and 30 percent by U.S.-based Mobil Corporation. Negotiations also are underway between the two countries for an additional 3 million tons of Qatari gas, and a deal is expected by the end of the year.

Saudi Arabia

Kingdom Receives New F-15s Eagles:

Saudi Arabia received the first shipment of 12 advanced U.S. F-15s Eagle attack aircraft on Sept. 12, part of the package of 72 purchased by the Kingdom to upgrade its air defense forces. The F-15s contract, complete with an equipment, maintenance and support package, has a total purchase price of $9 billion. Built by McDonnell Douglas, the F-15s is one of the world's most advanced aircraft and will replace earlier versions of the F-15 presently being flown by the Royal Saudi Air Force. The full order is scheduled to be completed by mid-1999.

Mosque Bombed in Asir Province:

A bomb exploded in a mosque in the southern Asir province during Friday prayers on Oct. 20, killing eight worshippers and wounding over 100 more. According to Saudi authorities, the perpetrator, Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Sa'd Al Amri, who was identified when his mask slipped during the assault, attacked the mosque because of land disputes he had with local residents. He later killed himself with another bomb.

Yemen

Tension Over Ofra Haza Visit:

Yemen's main opposition party has protested government plans to host Ofra Haza, a renowned Israeli singer who is of Yemeni origin. Al Thawri Weekly, the voice of the Yemen Socialist Party, said "the government has no right to take such a step without explicit support from the whole of the Yemeni public." The problem arose when the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv quoted Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdul Karim Al Iryani as saying that he would try to arrange a visit for Ofra Haza and Shoshana Damari, both Israeli nationals of Yemeni origin, despite the lack of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The influential Yemeni armed forces newspaper September 26 reported the planned visit of the singer but did not comment on her Israeli nationality.

United Arab Emirates

UAE Joins NPT:

The United Arab Emirates formally joined the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in September and called on the United States to use its influence to make the Middle East a region free of nuclear weapons. UAE Ambassador to the United States Muhammad bin Hussain Al Shaali presented the documents required for joining the treaty to U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher. He also delivered a message from UAE Foreign Minister Rashid Abdallah praising U.S. efforts regarding nuclear non-proliferation and encouraged other countries to join the NPT.

Zayed Calls on U.N. to Lift Embargo on Iraq:

UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan called on the United Nations to lift sanctions against Iraq because the sanctions are punishing civilians and causing excessive human suffering. Sheikh Zayed's statement was endorsed quickly by members of the Arab League meeting in Cairo. Arab League Secretary-General Esmat Abdel-Meguid commented that Sheikh Zayed "expressed a true and sincere Arab wish to help the Iraqi people regain their position as one of the foundations of joint Arab work." Dr. Meguid added that the League "is working hard to end this human pain so as to create the suitable atmosphere to realize Arab reconciliation."

UAE Company to Produce Pentium-Based PC:

Dubai-based Jumbo Electronics Company announced plans to start producing Pentium-based personal computers (PCs) at its new plant at the Jebal Ali Free Zone. During an Oct. 10 news conference, Jumbo marketing director M.P. Sharma announced the company's plans to manufacture 20,000 PCs annually until 1997, when the production capacity will be increased to 50,000 per year. Mr. Sharma estimated that Gulf-wide demand for personal computers is approximately 150,000 per year, with 30,000 per year needed for the UAE alone.

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

Jordan

King Hussein Will Visit Israel in November:

King Hussein will visit Israel in November to attend a ceremony honoring the top Israeli-Jordanian peace negotiators. Israel's top negotiator Eliakim Rubinstein, and his Jordanian counterpart, Fayez Tarawneh, will be honored for their efforts during a Nov. 17 ceremony on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Lebanon

Beirut Stock Exchange Opens:

After being closed for 12 years, the Beirut stock exchange has opened new offices and a trading floor in preparation for the resumption of trading later this year. Cutting the ceremonial ribbon was Lebanon's acting Finance Minister Fouad Siniora, who said, "Lebanon is intent on regaining its position and role as an economic and financial center in the region." Isham Al Oteibi, president of the Union of Arab Bourses and chairman of the Kuwait Stock Exchange, said that the reopening of the bourse will help Lebanon "regain the glories of an era which has not faded from memory, when it was a safe haven for capital and an attractive area for Arab and international investment." The new computerized stock market was set up with French government funding and technical assistance from the Paris Bourse.

Hrawi's Term Extended Three Years:

The Lebanese parliament voted 111-17 on Oct. 19 to change the constitution to allow President Elias Hrawi to remain in office for an additional three years. Hrawi's presidential mandate would have expired on Nov. 24. According to Lebanon's constitution, the president, who must be a Maronite Christian, is elected for a non-renewable six-year term. Amendments to the constitution, like the Oct. 19 decision, require support from two-thirds of the parliament's members.

Syria

Syria Accepts Stranded Palestinians:

Syrian military and commercial ships took more than 600 stranded Palestinians between Oct. 20 and 27 from the Countess M anchored off the Cypriot coast. The Palestinians were among thousands expelled by Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi from Libya last month, and had first been refused permission to land in Syria. All of the rescued Palestinians had Syrian papers. The passengers remaining on board the Countess M included Moroccans, Algerians and Palestinians with Jordanian papers. Cypriot officials said that arrangements were underway for the passengers to be sent to "other Arab countries in the next few days."

IRAN/IRAQ

Iran

Iran Claims It Is Producing Advanced Electronic Warfare Equipment:

Iran's supreme military leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed in the Oct. 16 edition of Tehran-based Akbar newspaper that the Islamic republic is producing advanced electronic warfare (EW) equipment. Khamenei did not discuss the program in detail and it is not readily apparent why he would have disclosed the information. Akbar quoted Khamenei saying that the United States, "with all its intelligence apparatus and spy networks, is unaware of this" EW program. Iran has been rebuilding and expanding its military since the end of the Iran-Iraq war and has increased the number and scope of its military exercises during the last two years.

Iran Opposition Leader in Norway:

Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the People's Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI), the largest Iranian opposition organization, traveled to Norway for meetings with governmental and private individuals. During her visit Rajavi met with Bishop Lyfe Otteshen of the Central Church of Norway, Gunnar Skaug, the speaker of the Norwegian Lower House of Parliament, Eric Solheim, chairman of the Socialist Party of Norway, and Edvard Grimstad, vice-president of Norway's Parliament. During the visit, Rajavi urged Norway to increase its pressure on Iran. The trip to Norway came after a planned speaking trip in June to Germany, which has a large resident Iranian community, was aborted at the request of German officials concerned about security for the visit.

Iraq

Iraq May Be Buying Missile Parts:

U.S. and U.N. officials are concerned that Iraq has been purchasing and stockpiling equipment to build missiles from European countries including France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia. According to Rolf Ekeus, the chairman of the United Nations commission monitoring the dismantling of Iraq's nuclear, chemical, biological and ballistic missile programs, Iraq has placed secret orders to several European countries for specialty metals, tools and advanced guidance systems for producing missiles in the future. Ekeus did not name the countries allegedly involved in the illegal transactions, but another U.N. official cited in the Washington Post named Germany, Ukraine and France. A senior U.S. official quoted in the same article claimed that there was concern over apparent Russian involvement, saying "they either are letting things through or their government is encouraging it."

Vote Goes to Saddam:

Iraqi president Saddam Hussain received 99.96 percent of the vote in an Oct. 17 referendum extending his rule for seven years. According to Izzat Ibrahim, the Iraqi official in charge of balloting, of 8,357,560 registered voters who took part, 8,348,700 voted to extend Hussain's mandate. Although President Hussain claimed that the poll demonstrated the support of the Iraqi people for his regime, most countries in the region and members of the Iraqi opposition operating in the United States dismissed the vote as a farce.

Iraq Admits it Tried and Failed to Make Nuclear Weapon:

In a letter to Agence France Press, Iraqi Oil Minister Amer Rashid admitted that Iraq had attempted to construct a nuclear weapon after its Aug. 2, 1990 invasion of Kuwait, but that the "program was a failure from the moment it began." Responding to questions sent to him by the French news service, Gen. Rashid, who is in charge of Iraq's military industrial organization, said that Iraq had no intention of using its chemical and biological arsenal against coalition forces unless the allies or Israel attacked Baghdad with nuclear weapons. Gen. Rashid's revelations came in the midst of allegations from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi that Iraq may still be hiding some of its deadliest weapons. The GCC planned to discuss these allegations during its upcoming December summit meeting in Oman.

ISRAEL/PALESTINE

Israel

Israel Extends Torture Mandate:

A ministerial committee gave Israel's domestic security service, Shin Bet, a three-month extension permitting the agency to continue using force during interrogations of suspected terrorists. Shin Bet has been at the center of a controversy over use of violent shaking during its interrogations of Palestinian prisoners. The procedure, which gives rise to brain damage and other permanent injury, led to the death of Abdel Samid Harizat, a Palestinian youth, in April of this year. The London-based human rights group Amnesty International called on the Israeli government to "stop playing with words" in drafting legislation that ostensibly outlaws torture but effectively encourages and legalizes it during interrogations. Amnesty International and Israeli human rights groups maintain that Palestinian prisoners are subjected to systematic abuse while in Israeli custody, including beatings, sleep deprivation, hooding, confinement to box-like cells, and the violent shaking which human rights activists argue is torture. Amnesty dismissed Israeli claims that it was complying with its obligations to uphold the United Nations Convention Against Torture as "doublespeak."

First Israeli Arab Ambassador Chosen:

The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that the first Israeli Arab has been named to the ambassadorial level. Ali Adeeb Yihyia, a lecturer in education at Tel Aviv University, will be Israel's ambassador to Finland. Yihyia, 49, received the prestigious Israel Prize in 1986 for his life's work in education, which includes teaching Arabic to Israelis and Hebrew to Palestinians in the occupied territories. He told Reuters that "I am proud to be Israel's first Arab ambassador and to open the door for integration inside and outside the country."

Pilot Killed in Freak Accident:

Israeli pilot Sgt. Yossi Mizrahi, 21, was killed when his air force jet aborted its takeoff from Hatzerim air base in the Negev. After the plane's hydraulic systems malfunctioned the plane was stopped by a steel cable stretched across the end of the runway designed specifically for such an event. Mizrahi was killed when one side of the cable broke away from its mooring and crashed through the cockpit. This was the third fatal Israeli air force accident since July.

Jaffa Residents Protest Relocation of Collaborators:

Hundreds of Jaffa residents gathered on Oct. 20 to protest the resettlement of Palestinian collaborators in Jaffa neighborhoods. The Jaffa area already is the home of 150 collaborators and their families, and hundreds more are anticipated after the full implementation of the Oslo II accords. Tel Aviv city councilor and leader of Jaffa's Muslim community, Khaled Kabub, told the demonstrators that they had every right "to cry out loud and hard against the resettling of collaborators in Jaffa."

$1.6 Billion Factory to Open in Israel:

Intel corporation announced plans to build a $1.6 billion semiconductor plant in Kiryat Gat, the largest industrial investment ever made in Israel. Construction of the plant is expected to take 20 months, with operation scheduled to begin at the start of 1999. Intel has been operating in Israel for 22 years and currently has plants in Haifa and Jerusalem employing 1,500 workers. Last year the company's exports totalled $364 million, making it one of Israel's top 10 exporters. The new plant will employ 4,500 people from the Ashdod and Bersheeba area, 1,500 directly and 3,000 through contractors and suppliers.

Israeli Census Faces Obstacles:

This year's planned census, the first since 1983, threatens to be the most difficult ever for Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics. As the 7,000 census takers began counting Israel's citizenry, they faced opposition from settlers' groups and the ultra-orthodox community. Settler organizations threatened to boycott the census because they said the government deliberately will undercount them to ease the public's concern about of their possible removal during a feared Oslo III accord. The ultra-orthodox refuse to participate because of the biblical injunction against counting "the children of the House of Israel." David Neumann, spokesman for the Central Statistics Bureau, said, "I have been doing this job for many years, and I have seen many ridiculous things, but I have never seen anything as ridiculous as this."

Palestine

Palestinians Plan Islamic Bank:

Palestinian investors announced in October that they will launch an Islamic bank to be based in Gaza City. The Palestinian Islamic Bank (PIB) has received pledges of $10 million in capital from investors, $5.5 million of which has been received. Khaled Al Husari, chairman of the Palestinian Islamic Investment Company in Gaza, told Agence France Press that "there is a strong demand by Palestinians and investors from the Gulf and Arab countries" for an Islamic financial institution. According to Husari, PIB is the first Islamic bank in Palestinian history. He added that the bank is interested primarily in three areas: industry, agriculture and housing.

Palestinian-U.S. Joint Venture:

West Bank-based Samco computer company and the U.S. firm TMA signed an agreement in Gaza on Oct. 15 to manufacture and export electronic equipment. The deal was the first to result from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation's July visit to Gaza. Head of Planning for the Palestinian Authority Nabil Shaath told those gathered for the signing that "this is the start of our high-tech industry."

U.S.-Palestinian Authority Conclude Free Trade Deal:

The United States and the Palestinian National Authority completed a free trade deal on Oct. 17 which will allow exports from the West Bank and Gaza to enter the U.S. free of customs duties. U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor announced in Jerusalem that "we have finalized an exchange of letters that will give free trade status to the West Bank and Gaza Strip." The letters, exchanged between the United States, the Palestinian Authority and Israel, included a Palestinian commitment to work toward ending the Arab boycott of Israel. Previously the occupied territories came under the General System of Preferences which allowed certain products to be shipped to the U.S. duty-free.

THE NILE VALLEY

Sudan

President Bashir Visits China, Vietnam:

Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir led a five-man delegation to China in October, meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing. During the visit the delegates discussed a soft loan from China to Sudan, a preferential debt relief agreement and the establishment of a Sudanese free trade zone in Beijing. After the visit, President Bashir traveled to Hanoi at the invitation of Vietnam's president.

Egypt

Egypt Seeks African Seat on Security Council:

Bowing to Western and Arab pressure, Libya announced its decision not to pursue the African seat on the 15-member United Nations Security Council, suggesting instead that Egypt pursue the position. The U.N. General Assembly will vote secretly on Nov. 8 to fill the five upcoming vacancies on the Security Council. New members will begin their responsibilities on Jan. 1, 1996. Egyptian officials have agreed to accept a seat on the Council and have received support from Western and Arab countries. Among the countries leaving the Council is Oman, its only Arab member. The last time the Security Council didn't have an Arab representative was 1967.

U.S.-Egypt Joint War Games:

The annual joint military exercises between the United States and Egypt code-named Bright Star were scheduled for November, according to Egyptian Chief of Staff Salah Halabi. This year's exercises also include France, Britain and the United Arab Emirates. The Bright Star maneuvers began after Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 and have continued annually.

Library Needs More Money for Restoration:

Work has begun on rebuilding the library of Alexandria, but Egyptian officials say they need an additional $100 million to complete the project. Mohsen Zahran, who heads the General Organization for the Alexandria Library (GOAL), has received $70 million of $170 million pledged by presidents, kings and princes at a 1990 ceremony in Aswan organized by UNESCO. The library will replace one destroyed 1,600 years ago. The original library was one of the largest public libraries in the world, held 700,000 volumes and contained a copy of every manuscript that had entered Egypt. It was damaged by Julius Caesar's siege of Alexandria in 48 B.C. and was burned to the ground by the Christian patriarch Theophile in the fourth century. The rebuilt library, which should have opened last July, was designed by a Norwegian architect. It will hold 200,000 volumes, of which 100,000 already have been obtained.

Egypt Plans to Launch Satellite:

Egyptian Minister of Information Safwat Al Sharif announced his country's plans to manufacture and put into orbit Egypt's first satellite, Nilesat. The planned launch date for the satellite is September 1997. Nilesat will use a compressed communications system which will allow it to broadcast up to 48 television stations.

NORTH AFRICA

Algeria

Algeria Has "World Class" Oil Field:

Algeria's Hassi Berkine oil field near the Libyan border was pronounced "world class" by John Hogan, chief operating officer of Lasmo, a British oil exploration and production company. Hogan told the London-based Financial Times, "We are talking about world class both in terms of reserves and productivity." The field is estimated to contain 1.5 billion barrels of oil and is being developed by joint venture.

Army Kills 400 Militants:

The leader of the Islamic Salvation Army, Madani Mezrag, and 400 of his men have been killed by Algerian security forces in the eastern part of the country according to the Khabar daily on Oct. 15. According to the report, security forces pushed through the Jijel hills seizing Mezrag's command headquarters, taking weapons, ammunition, communications equipment and explosives. The military operation came in response to reports that members of the Armed Islamic Group were gathering in the region to plan attacks aimed at disrupting the planned Nov. 16 elections.

Tunisia

Arab Police Chiefs Gather:

Tunis hosted the annual conference of Arab police chiefs in October, with representatives attending from every Arab country to discuss terrorism, arms trafficking and the drug trade. Meeting with the police chiefs was Raymond Kendall, a senior Interpol official, who called on the delegation to work more closely with the international law enforcement agency in preventing crime and apprehending international criminals. Kendall told the gathering that "only the exchange of information between member countries will help identify [criminals]...but 70 percent of the information [sent to Interpol] is from European countries, and only 3.5 percent is from the Middle East." Tunisian Interior Minister Muhammad Jegham opened the conference by asking members to cooperate in the fight against "terrorism hiding behind religious beliefs."

SUBCONTINENT

Afghanistan

U.N. Envoy Tries to Mediate Treaty:

U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan Mahmoud Mestiri arrived in the Afghan capital on Oct. 22 in an effort to negotiate a cease-fire between government forces and the Taliban militia besieging Kabul. Mestiri met with Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani to discuss the latest round of the 42-month-old civil war. During Mestiri's visit seven civilians were injured in a market when an Egyptian-made Sakr rocket fired by the Taliban landed on a crowded street. Ten days before Mestiri's arrival, Taliban militias coordinated their attacks in an all-out assault on the Afghan capital. The attacks came after a year of preparation by the Taliban, which emerged in 1994 from obscurity and began to reinforce positions around the southern hills overlooking Kabul's suburbs.

Pakistan

Pakistan Has Lowest Real Growth Rate in South Asia:

According to macroeconomic indicators detailed in a report by the International Monetary Fund's second-quarter review of Pakistan's economy, Pakistan registered the lowest real growth rate of any South Asian country for 1994. The combination of a 4 percent real growth rate and 11.6 percent increase in consumer prices compared poorly with Pakistan's five South Asian neighbors: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Other factors in Pakistan's problems included the rupee's sinking exchange rate and the poor performance of the Karachi stock exchange.

Pakistani Warships Tour Gulf States:

Two Pakistani warships, the frigate Shahjehan and the submarine Ghazi, paid goodwill visits to several Gulf states, stopping in the United Arab Emirates to hold training exercises with ships from the UAE navy. After the joint exercises the two warships proceeded to Qatar and then to Saudi Arabia.

THE UNITED STATES

Colorado Fundamentalists Support Jewish Settlements

Several Christian evangelical churches in Colorado have launched an "adopt-a-settlement" program to raise funds and send delegates to Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. The project was initiated by Colorado Springs businessman and chairman of the Christian Friends of Israel Community Development Foundation Theodore Temple Beckett, who also heads the Colorado-based Foundation for Israel. According to Beckett, the aim of the organization "is to show the settlers that we believe in what they are doing. We believe that as a result of the so-called peace process, an unbiblical situation is developing." By the end of the year Beckett and his associates hope to adopt 70 settlements to "show them they are not alone and are loved by many."

Rabin Asks President Clinton to Release Pollard:

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin told reporters in Jerusalem that he asked President Clinton to release convicted spy-for-Israel Jonathan Pollard as part of the U.S.-moderated peace deal between Palestinians and Israelis. Pollard, a former intelligence analyst for the United States Navy, was convicted of spying for Israel in 1986 and was given a life sentence. Rabin stated on Israeli television that he "mentioned the matter of Pollard against the backdrop of the release of prisoners" prior to the Oslo II signing ceremony in Washington, DC, but had received "no promise, no commitment—except to consider this." President Clinton denied a pardon request for Pollard in March, but backroom political pressure from American Jewish and Israeli groups has continued since that time.

D'Amato Will Delay Harsher Sanctions Against Iran:

U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY) announced he would delay his legislation to place sanctions on foreign companies that do petroleum-related business with Iran, saying that he would wait to see if Clinton administration pressure on U.S. allies results in more countries joining the U.S. embargo. D'Amato said at a meeting of the Senate Banking Committee to discuss the impact of the U.S. trade embargo on Iran that "it is not my intent to set policy but rather [to] put pressure on the Iranians." U.S. Undersecretary of State Peter Tarnoff said that the Clinton administration would have a difficult time supporting D'Amato's legislation because it could be a violation of U.S. international trade agreements and because "it would be difficult to square a U.S. secondary boycott with the free-trade rhetoric with which we press Arab governments to remove their secondary and tertiary boycotts on Israel."