Indescribably understood and expected.....
From Réalité EU:
As the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to hold British hostages many companies from the European Union member states continue to do business with the rogue regime.
“While Britain has cut virtually all ties with Iran a large number of EU nations including Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Spain continue to carry on business as usual,” says Simon Barrett, the Director of IMIA, International Media Intelligence Analysis.
“Iran’s clerical rulers not only oppress their own people, they sponsor international terrorist organisations, have threatened to wipe another country off the map while building a nuclear weapons and are now defying the will of the international community as they continue to hold 15 British troops under false pretenses,” continued Mr. Barrett.
European goods make up 44% of the Iran’s total imports which last year amounted to more than $16 billion. During that time the EU imported over $10 billion in merchandise from Iran. In addition European invests billions of dollars in Iranian oil, gas, mining, automotive, transportation and communications companies.
Some European businesses work with Iranian banks inside the EU that are directly involved in financing Iran’s missile programme and its funding of Islamic terror groups. Two of these banks, Bank Saderat and Bank Sepah have branches in almost every European capital. [1]
Hundreds of businesses in Europe work in or with Iran, some of the major companies include:
Alcatel SA: French based Alcatel earned over $300 million dollars revenue in deals with Iran as well as Sudan and Libya over the past five years. The company directly assists the Iranian regime by providing it with most of its telecommunications infrastructure, advanced technology and training. [2]
Total SA: French energy giant Total is one of the main investors in Iran. It owns and runs oil development projects in Iran that amount to tens of millions of dollars in annual profit. Total has recently invested $1.6 billion on four oil exploitations in Iran. [3]
Technip Coflexip: Technip Coflexip is one of the biggest engineering and companies in France and supports Iran by building much of its petrochemical plants and other related infrastructure. Technip Coflexip does business with Iran to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. [4]
BNP Paribas: The French bank, BNP Paribas, is the only foreign bank active in Iran and supports the terror sponsoring regime by funding its infrastructure and export projects. BNP Paribas has bankrolled Iranian schemes worth over $2 billion so far. [5]
Royal Dutch Shell: The Dutch/British energy and petrochemical company has a long history of investment in Iran. In January 2007, Shell along with Spanish energy company Repsol signed a gas deal with Iran worth over $10.2 billion dollars. [6]
Stolt-Nielsen SA: British holding and transportation company Stolt-Nielsen SA, conducts roaring trade with the terror sponsoring regime in Iran. Stolt-Nielsen deals with Iran via its subsidiary Stolt-Offshore, which imports much of the regime’s petrochemicals, fats and oils supply. The company has been caught falsifying cargo documents and using an elaborate code system to conceal their business with Iran. [7]
Siemens AG: Germany’s Siemens AG is a world leader in telecommunications. Siemens AG has a long history of conducting lucrative business with countries that nourish and promote terrorism including Iran, Sudan and Syria. Siemens AG has profited hundreds of millions of dollars from dealing with these rogue states. [8]
Statoil ASA: Statoil ASA invests heavily in oil projects that fund the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism, Iran. The Norwegian company holds massive stakes in Iranian development projects that brings revenue of hundreds of millions of dollars to Tehran’s clerical regime. Statoil’s most recent Iranian deal alone is worth $2.6 billion. [9]
ENI Spa: Italy’s leading energy company ENI Spa, is one of the biggest investors in Iran worldwide. ENI Spa and its subsidiaries, Agip and Snamprogetti Spa have contracts with Iran worth billions of dollars which provides enormous revenue to Iran and the terror groups it supports. [10]
Other well known companies that do big business with Iran include: Daimler-Chrysler, Renault, Lurgi AG, Krupp-Uhde, BASF, Lundin Petroleum and HSBC.
“The European Union member’s states have the power and the means to prevent Iran from completing their controversial nuclear weapons programme, if they took the necessary measures of ensuring that Europe acts as one by pursuing a policy of tougher economic sanctions. This can force European business to reconsider trading with Iran as a means of ending the hostage crisis and stopping Iran for requiring nuclear weapons,” concludes Mr. Barrett.
IMIA, a European-based organisation with global reach, provides facts, insights and analysis on key developments and trends in the Middle East. IMIA exposes the threats from state sponsors of terrorist organisations, extremist leaders and groups, financing of terrorism, proliferation of nuclear weapons, human rights violations as well as counter terrorist organisations' initiatives. IMIA is affiliated with REALITE-EU a new e-publication for journalists, leaders and key analysts that focus on developments in and around the Middle East which pose a threat to Europe and beyond.
Footnotes:
[2] Sparshott, Jeffery, “Pension funds urged to end ties to terror, The Washington Times
Alcatel website with information on its deals with Iran
[3] “Total plans stake in $2b Iran project, Reuters via Gulf News, May 9, 2005
“Total SA may increase its stake in Irans Pars liquefied natural gas project,” Forbes, May 24, 2005
[4] Technip Coflexip press release
Gertz, Bill, “French firm probed in move of pumps to Iran,” The Washington Times
[5] “European banks support Iran,” BBC, May 27, 2002
“Iran lures BNP, HSBC for loans; US banks barred,” Bloomberg, December 23, 2004
[7] “Treasury department probes shipping company,” Associated Press via Fox news, November 22, 2002
Siemens AG website detailing business in Iran
“Iran-tied Assets,” International Herald Tribune, March 7, 2007
[9] “Statoil signs Iran gas deal,” BBC, October 28, 2002
Statoil ASA website detailing business in Iran
[10] ENI Spa website detailing business in Iran
“Surprise: Oil woes in Iran,” Businessweek, November 30, 2006
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