Chamber of Commerce accused of working with Iran

Examiner.com, If Iran really is the evil, terrorist-aiding state that many conservatives claim it is, then the United States Chamber of Commerce may have some explaining to do. According the Fars News Service, the Iranian government is trumpeting the fact that seven United States institutions, including the Chamber of Commerce, helped them oppose the recent trade sanctions put on them by the United Nations. The sanctions were in response to the continued expansion of Iran's nuclear program, which the United States views as a threat to stability in the region, and the country of Israel in particular. Evidently the United States Chamber of Commerce sided with the Iranians in an effort to stop the sanctions from taking effect.

The Iranians strongly oppose the sanctions, and in the report from the Fars News Service they claim that the "American people" are opposed to the sanctions as well. As evidence the Fars News Service cites a letter supposedly sent to them by the United States Chamber of Commerce and other institutions,

"Stressing that the American people are not interested in imposing sanctions against Tehran, he said that the US Chamber of Commerce along with seven other institutions recently sent a statement to Iran and underlined the US private sector's opposition to such embargoes."

If true the report could be very damaging for the Chamber of Commerce, as it would effectively mean the Chamber is aiding a state sponsor of terrorism in their efforts to undo sanctions aimed at stopping their nuclear program.

Thus far a spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce has been unavailable for comment. Talking Points Memo cites a letter written to National Economic Council director Larry Summers and then-National Security Advisor Jim Jones as evidence that the Chamber of Commerce could have engaged in these kinds of actions. The letter argued strongly against the imposition of sanctions on Iran, even given the United States interest in stopping the development of their nuclear program.