UANI Applauds Austria's Palfinger for Ending Business in Iran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2013 Contact: Nathan Carleton, press@uani.com  Phone: (212) 554-3296 UANI Applauds Austria's Palfinger for Ending Business in Iran Company Whose Cranes were Misused for Hangings Swears Off Business    New York, NY - Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) applauded Austria's Palfinger AG for taking the responsible action of ending its business in Iran. Last month, UANI publicly called on Palfingerto pull out of Iran, where the Iranian regime has used its cranes to stage gruesome public executions. Palfinger was also listed as a partner of the Iranian company Pasargad Petrogas.  In recent discussions with UANI, Palfinger pledged a complete end to its Iran business, stating that "[a]s a result of the UANI campaign, among other reasons, we have terminated our contract with the Iranian dealer as well as any contact with Iran ..." Palfinger added that it is no longer listed as a partner of Pasargad Petrogas, and also said it will "instruct our managers worldwide not to engage in any business with Iran." Said UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace: We applaud Palfinger for ending its business in Iran. As the recent film Argo depicted, the Iranian regime has for decades been misusing construction cranes for abuse and repression. Like all of us, Palfinger executives were horrified to see their cranes being misused to conduct public hangings in Iran. Palfinger took the only responsible action--completely exiting Iran. We urge other crane manufacturers to follow Palfinger out of Iran, particularly considering the human rights issue. Given the regime's history of misusing foreign products and technology, there is simply no safe way to do business in Iran. UANI's Cranes Campaign highlights the Iranian regime's record of conducting public executions by crane. In a July 2011 Los Angeles Times op-ed, "Iran's Execution Binge," Ambassador Wallace called on crane manufacturers to "take the principled stand of renouncing their business ties with the regime until Iran becomes a civilized member of the international community." Palfinger joins prominent crane manufacturers Terex, Liebherr, Tadano, Konecranes, and UNIC in ending business in Iran. Click here to read UANI's February 21 letter to Palfinger. Click here to learn more about UANI's Cranes Campaign. ###  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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