U.S. Presses Germany to Block Indian Payments to Iran for Oil

[Judi Lynn]

Source: New York Times

U.S. Presses Germany to Block Indian Payments to Iran for Oil
By JACK EWING
Published: March 31, 2011

FRANKFURT — Despite public embarrassment and pressure from the United States, German officials appear to be at a loss for ways to prevent a bank in Germany from being used by India to pay for Iranian oil, money that U.S. officials say could help finance Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

German officials said they had no legal basis to block the payments, made by India to the Hamburg-based Europäisch-Iranische Handelsbank, or E.I.H. The money flows through the German central bank, the Bundesbank, as part of the international payments system.

The payments have apparently been going on for a few weeks, but attracted public attention in Germany only this week, after a report in a leading German business newspaper, Handelsblatt.

The U.S. authorities have been pressing Germany to shut down the conduit, while the German authorities say they cannot do so without strong evidence that E.I.H. has violated U.N. sanctions against supplying the Iranian weapons program.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/business/global/31iht-iranoil31.html?_r=1&ref=world

[EFerrari]

1. Looks like they still have something like the rule of law in Germany.

How quaint.

[golfguru]

2. WTF

Germany & India are sovereign democratic countries.

[Vehl]

3. Lol let me get this straight

US is pressuring Germany to stop from India using one of its banks to pay for the oil it buys legally from Iran?
What the hell!

America tried to dissuade India from buying Oil from Iran. India refused.So instead of taking the matter up with India, America goes about pressuring Germany? as if India is some rouge state? At the same time trying to get India as an Ally against China, and a buyer of American military/tech equipment?

Is the state department aware of this disconnect??
This in top of the request by America to provide Palin with ministerial-level honours during her visit(which India refused).

:crazy:
Whats up with the US foreign service??