Word: embargos
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While the Obama Administration may think that a gasoline embargo, even a partial one, would pressure the Iranian regime to suspend its nuclear activities, Tehran may be hoping for just that sanction to help it with one of its longtime goals: reducing gasoline consumption. Indeed, the Iranian government, which has been subsidizing pump prices for years and keeping them well below the international market price (at a huge burden to the national budget), would love the U.S. to take the political hit for helping to end the subsidies...
...liters a day, yet consumption has averaged 67 million liters a day, even after the rationing program was implemented. New proposals are being discussed in Iran's parliament to further limit the rationed amount, and would gain extra heft if any serious moves by the U.S. on a gasoline embargo start to occur. Of course, if that happens, Iran's government can easily blame the U.S. for future price increases at the pump. (Read "How Iran Might Beat Future Sanctions: The China Card...
With new refineries in construction - thanks to incoming Chinese, Russian and Indian investment - Iran predicts it will be self-sufficient in gasoline production by 2013. That seems a little optimistic, but further tough talk by the U.S. on a gas embargo may just help Iran reach its long-held goal a little faster...
...Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hinted that Suu Kyi's release could encourage Washington to lift its ban on new investment in Burma. That's obviously off the table for now. Post verdict, it has been replaced by growing calls for the U.N. Security Council to approve a global embargo on arms sales to the regime and investigate its atrocities allegedly committed in its long-running war against ethnic insurgents in eastern Burma. But the Security Council can do neither without the support of permanent members China and Russia, both Burma allies...
...Libyans want to wait until Megrahi's appeal is over before considering compensation - and that'll be just fine with the West. Ghaddafi's neighbors may begin simply ignoring sanctions as they have been doing with Iraq, but it could still be years before the West lifts its embargo...