STOP THE BOMB campaign protests against Iran deal of German gas company Bayerngas
Press release, 17 April 2009
A planned deal of the German gas company Bayerngas GmbH with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) threatens to undermine international efforts for sanctions against Iran. The Financial Times Germany reported on the 16th of April that Bayerngas wants to help Iran transforming gas stations to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
The Iranian administration wants to become independent from importing expensive refined fuel. Therefore the Iranian government pushes for the conversion of Iran’s vehicles to run on natural gas. Although Iran has high reserves of crude oil the country has not enough refining industry capacity. The import of about 40 % of its refined fuel is the Achilles heel of Iran. Targeted sanctions in this sector can seriously hurt the regime.
„With the assistance of Bayerngas the Iranian regime could continue its nuclear program, its support of islamist terror worldwide and the oppression of its own population. Political pressure of the West would be much less effective“, says Jonathan Weckerle, spokesman of the STOP THE BOMB campaign in Germany. The campaign calls for effective sanctions against the Iranian regime. Among the supporters of STOP THE BOMB are German MPs from the Social Democrats, the Conservatives, the Greens, the Left Party and prominent figures such as famous actress Iris Berben, journalist Henryk M. Broder and Nobel laureate for literature Elfriede Jelinek.
US president Obama gave hints that a failure of the direct talks policy must be backed by the threat of further sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this situation Europe would have to assist. Therefore the deal of Bayerngas threatens a peaceful solution to the conflict formed by the Iranian nuclear program. It would be a fatal signal of western discord to Tehran.
Bayerngas is just another example for a scandal about the delivery of gas technology to Iran. Last summer a 100 million euro deal of the German company Steiner-Prematechnik-Gastec (SPG), selling three gas liquification facilities to Iran became the target of protests. (1)
The German government until now refused to install unilateral German or even European sanctions against Iran.
According to the German daily “Der Tagesspiegel” from the 4th of April a quest for further sanctions of Foreign Minister Steinmeier was rejected by economic advisers in the office of chancellor Merkel and by the German ministry of economy. “Apparently short-term lucrative profits are far more important for German politicians and leading figures of economy than the nuclear threat that Iran poses not only for Israel but for the entire Middle East and Europe. The Bayerngas deal would strenthen the Iranian regime in a sector of highest strategic importance. It has to be stopped immediately”, so Jonathan Weckerle, spokesman of STOP THE BOMB.
(1) for an extensive documentation of the “Steiner scandal” see http://www.mideastfreedomforum.org/node/74