UANI Applauds Fiat's Decision to End Certain Business in Iran

   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 25, 2012 Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com Phone: (212) 554-3296 UANI Applauds Fiat's Decision to End Certain Business in Iran New York, NY - United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, issued the following statement Friday regarding Fiat's announcement that "its subsidiaries will no longer carry out business activity related to products or components where the ultimate destination of such products is known to be Iran": We applaud Fiat's decision to end certain parts of its business in Iran. We welcome this announcement, and are pleased that Fiat's subsidiary Iveco will no longer sell trucks to the Iranian regime, which has used them to transport ballistic missiles and perform gruesome public executions. Nonetheless, we call on Fiat to now fully end all of its business in Iran, including the sale and manufacturing of all Fiat and Maserati vehicles. Only last month, it was reported that a Maserati showroom would soon be opening up in Tehran. Fiat should confirm that it is not--directly or indirectly--engaged in any business in Iran, providing any goods or services in Iran, or implementing any agreements with Iranian entities including the Pars Industrial Foundation. Responsible auto companies are pulling out of Iran and Iran's important automotive industrial sector is now suffering dramatic year-over-year declines. More companies must follow this action, particularly Peugot and Nissan which are important actors in the Persian auto industry. Fiat maintained an active presence in Iran. Fiat's subsidiary Iveco sold and distributed trucks in Iran that were used by the Iranian regime to transport ballistic missiles and stage gruesome public executions. UANI's campaign against Fiat began in 2011, and included advertisements in New York newspapers [see additional ad here], and a protest at the New York International Auto Show. UANI also ran a public campaign this year regarding Jennifer Lopez's endorsements of Fiat, and produced an online video, "J.Lo's "My World" Fiat Commercial: Parody," that generated more than 50,000 YouTube hits. Last week, Ambassador Wallace testified about Iran's automotive industry before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ambassador Wallace called out Peugeot and its U.S. partner GM, stating that "Peugeot right now is a major actor in Iran, a major manufacturer inside Iran in direct partnership with the IRGC." In fact, while Peugeot says it suspended its business with Iran until July, Iran produced more than 15,000 Peugeot vehicles in April. Ambassador Wallace also said that when it comes to Nissan, which was recently awarded New York City's $1 billion "Taxi of Tomorrow" contract, Americans "should be able to use the power of New York's pocketbook to impress upon Nissan to stop manufacturing automobiles in Iran." Click here to visit UANI's "Auto Campaign" page. Click here to read UANI's "DRIVE Act" legislation. ###                                                                          United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a program of the American Coalition Against Nuclear Iran, Inc., a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should concern every American and be unacceptable to the community of nations. Since 1979 the Iranian regime, most recently under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's leadership, has demonstrated increasingly threatening behavior and rhetoric toward the US and the West. Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations in their attempts to monitor its nuclear activities. A number of Arab states have warned that Iran's development of nuclear weapons poses a threat to Middle East stability and could provoke a regional nuclear arms race. In short, the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is a danger to world peace. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons. The Objectives of United Against a Nuclear Iran Inform the public about the nature of the Iranian regime, including its desire and intent to possess nuclear weapons, as well as Iran's role as a state sponsor of global terrorism, and a major violator of human rights at home and abroad; Heighten awareness nationally and internationally about the danger that a nuclear armed Iran poses to the region and the world; Mobilize public support, utilize media outreach, and persuade our elected leaders to voice a robust and united American opposition to a nuclear Iran; Lay the groundwork for effective US policies in coordination with European and other allies; Persuade the regime in Tehran to desist from its quest for nuclear weapons, while striving not to punish the Iranian people, and; Promote efforts that focus on vigorous national and international, social, economic, political and diplomatic measures. UANI is led by an advisory board of outstanding national figures representing all sectors of our country.

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