[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great

[Oppenheimer]

Iran has offered to send 20m barrels of crude oil to the US to help with the consequences of Hurricane Katrina.
The two countries have had no diplomatic relations for decades, but America did send help to Iran when a severe earthquake hit Bam in 2003.

Speaking on state-run radio, Iran's envoy to OPEC said his country was ready to send up to five shiploads of crude oil to the US.

But he said this could only happen if US sanctions were lifted first.

The envoy, Hosein Kazempur-Arbedili, did not clarify if he meant lifted temporarily for this aid shipment, or permanently.

The idea behind this offer is that Hurricane Katrina has badly disrupted production in the Gulf of Mexico, which supplies up to a quarter of America's oil.

In practice, US sanctions may well mean Iran cannot carry through on its offer, but it is a rare gesture of good will.

When an earthquake devastated the Iranian city of Bam nearly two years ago a team of American doctors with medical aid was sent.

Though Iran was thankful for the humanitarian help it never led to a breakthrough in relations.

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Comment: I can say with certainty as surely as the sun will rise tommorrow that the US answer is going to be something like "Thanks, but no thanks."

We don't do "deals" with terrorists or their sponsors.

[Oppenheimer]

Daily Press Briefing
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
September 6, 2005


(excerpt)


Samir.

QUESTION: There is a report that Iran is offering or offered to contribute 20
million barrels of oil. Can you confirm that or --

MR. MCCORMACK: No. We haven't received any direct contact from the Iranian
Government with an offer.

[Oppenheimer]

Harry K. Thomas, Jr., Executive Secretary of the Department of State

Washington, DC
September 7, 2005


(excerpt)



QUESTION: All right. Iran has offered now, and we all know your lack of relations with Iran, ten million barrels of crude oil to help overcome the devastation. Would you accept --


AMBASSADOR THOMAS: That is a conditional offer so I think that speaks for itself.


QUESTION: No, it doesn't. I mean, you will not accept it because it's conditional.


AMBASSADOR THOMAS: It's a conditional offer, so we don't. We don't deal with that.


QUESTION: All right. And last question. Last question, please.


AMBASSADOR THOMAS: To my knowledge, we haven't received that formally. We saw that request in press stories.


QUESTION: But no --


QUESTION: I'd like to make -- can I just make --


AMBASSADOR THOMAS: Yeah, sure.


QUESTION: So for now, you're not taking Iran's offer up because it's --


AMBASSADOR THOMAS: I said it was a conditional offer.

[Guest]

I don't know what kind of humanitarian help Hussein Kazempur calls this if they are going to put conditions on it!!....

The sanctions imposed on Iran were for political reasons. When USA sent help to BAM earthquake victims the funds were sent directly to private relief groups and Red Cross in Iran. There were no conditions made first.


Also even though offering 20M barrels of oil is a nice gesture..... Crude oil is not going to be of immediate help to people. Because there is shortage of gas...and due to hurricane, 7 refineries were damaged(2 are back online).

[Oppenheimer]

Shahriar,

"WE don't need no stinking crude from no stinking terrorist mullacracy..."

-Average Joe Citizen of the US


Of over 90 nations pledging assistance, only the mullahs put political conditions on this aid.

That "speaks for itself" as quoted from the above briefing.

BTW, in my talking with many an average Joe US citizen, I have yet to hear anything but sympathy for the plight of the Iranian people, support for their basic human rights, and the average Joe US citizen knows a hell of a lot more than most Iranians think they do about the difficulties faced, as well as the threat posed by this regime.

and this is across the board...both democrat and republican.

Even those opposed to the war in Iraq understand where the munitions killing our troops and Iraqi citizens are coming from.

There's a level of anger and disgust in the average Joe that is being reflected today in the US congress, and US policy.

You'll see much more in the coming weeks at the UN.

[Oppenheimer]

The IRI propaganda machine at work...............




Iran denies oil offer to US hurricane victims Wed. 7 Sep 2005



AFP

TEHRAN - Iran's oil ministry on Wednesday fiercely denied reports it had offered oil to the United States as aid for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, asserting that US policies and sanctions made such a gesture impossible.

"Moves by the United States to establish economic sanctions and other pressure against the Islamic Republic of Iran are the main barriers to Iranian aid," said Iran's envoy to the oil cartel OPEC, Hossein Kazempour-Ardebili.

"If the US removes these sanctions, the barriers will be removed too. If US economic sanctions against Iran did not exist, and if there were no barrier for Iran's crude oil to enter the US market, we could supply between 10 million and 20 million barrels of oil as aid," he told the ministry's Shana news service.

But such talk, he insisted, was purely theoretical -- and not a concrete offer from Iran as had been reported by some media.

"It is not clear why foreign agencies have reported this news about Iran offering oil relief to the US, because any decision on such matters rests with the parliament," he asserted.

Washington and Tehran cut off diplomatic ties in 1981 after Islamist students stormed the US embassy in the Iranian capital and held 52 staff hostages for 444 days.

A 1996 US law threatens sanctions on both American and foreign companies investing more than 40 million dollars in Iran's energy sector. The United States has been pushing for additional sanctions to be slapped on Tehran amid accusations the country is seeking nuclear weapons.

But Washington extended a helping hand when a massive earthquake hit the southern Iranian town of Bam killing more than 31,000 people in 2003.