European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 31, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes Friday january 31, 1992 . Of d High tech exports to Iran Friday january 31, 1992 Washington a the Commerce department allowed . Companies to sell Iran $60 million in High tech products with potential military use even As the Cia was warning against Iran a support of terrorism and its nuclear weapons program. Classified documents obtained by the associated press show that . Firms sold sophisticated computers navigation and radar equipment gyroscopes and other items to private iranian companies and official government agencies. Between september 1990 and october 1991, the Commerce department allowed 92 sales of so called a dual use items that can be used for military and civilian purposes. In the three previous years the Commerce department approved 372 sales Worth $282 million in dual use items to Iran. American firms wishing to sell such products to Iran Iraq Cuba Syria North Korea and Libya must get approval because these countries allegedly support terrorism. The procedure Calls for the Commerce department to evaluate Export applications by getting expert opinions from the Man sentenced in iraqi sales Miami a arms merchant Sarkis Soghanalian was sentenced wednesday to 6vi years in prison and fined $20,000 for conspiring to Export arms to Iraq. Soghanalian a lebanese National was convicted in october of six counts including conspiracy to deliver military helicopters and rocket launchers to Iraq in violation of the arms Export control act. He was indicted in 1987. Attorney Neal Sonnett said he would Appeal. Soghanalian 61, was convicted of conspiring with two Hughes helicopter corp. Executives a Carl Perry and William Ellis a to Export arms to Iraq without the required Federal licenses. Perry and Ellis were indicted separately. No trial Date has been set. Soghanalian Span aviation co. Was found guilty of the same six counts As Soghanalian was and fined $55,000. The company is run by his 31-year-old son Garabet. State defense and Energy departments. These agencies can either approve or reject the applications or they can decide not to act on them. More than half the 1990-91 sales a about $30 million in computer related equipment a was approved by the Commerce department even though other government agencies returned the License requests without making a ruling. The largest License application a by the Gayaneh Saz engineering co. For $28.3 million in computer equipment a did not specify the end user saying the commodities would be sold to other unspecified countries. The defense and state departments approved the application. The department of Energy did no to act on it. The Commerce department said it did not have any immediate comment. Relations Between Tehran and Washington have been on a roller coaster since Muslim militants took dozens of americans hostage in 1979. However they have warmed since Iran applied its influence to obtain Freedom for american hostages held in Lebanon. The department tightened Export controls after revelations last year that it had approved $1.5 billion in dual use exports to Iraq some of which May have been used against american forces fighting to expel the iraqis from Kuwait. During the same period that it approved the $60 million in sales the Commerce department also turned Down $1.49 billion in exports to Iran most of them for non military aircraft helicopters and engines for passenger airlines the documents showed. The end users listed on the License applications Range from government offices and telecommunications agencies to Oil drilling firms and universities. The . Sellers Are also named but their identity is being withheld in accordance with conditions set by the source of the  to stay on list of terrorist sponsors Washington a despite improved . Relations with Syria Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii wont remove the country from the list of countries allegedly engaging in state sponsored terrorism. At the conclusion of the state departments annual review Baker has decided that there is no justification for removing Syria or any of the other five countries from the list officials said wednesday. The others Are Iran Iraq Libya Cuba and North Korea. Of that group Syria is the Only one with which the United states has Normal relations. Syrians Stock Rose sharply in Washington last year after president Hafez Assad agreed to take part in the Allied coalition against Iraq and also to participate in Arab israeli peace talks. But the state department review concluded that Syria despite improvements in its behaviour should not be removed from the list. Among other activities said a 1991 report Syria has failed to take Concrete measures against the Abu Nidal organization in syrian controlled areas of Lebanon. The state department has described the Abu Nidal group As a extremely violent and As hostile to All efforts to achieve an Arab israeli political settlement. The group is made up of palestinians. Terrorism activities Here Are some of the countries that the state department says support International terrorism and their alleged activities a Cuba is a Haven for latin american revolutionaries and provides military training and funds and guidance to Radical subversive groups. A Iran has used its intelligence services to facilitate and conduct terrorist attacks particularly against regime dissidents a Iraq provides Haven to a number of terrorist groups and has issued Public statements endorsing terrorism As a legitimate tactic. A Libya has continued to provide Money training and other support to its terrorist clients.. Opens talks with Vietnam Washington up top . And vietnamese officials held talks wednesday to discuss issues that could Lead to Normal relations Between the two old enemies. The meeting was held Between teams headed by Deputy assistant Secretary of state Kenneth Quinn and ambassador Trinh Xuan Lang Vietnam a permanent representative to the United nations. The talks were described As the highest level contacts in Washington since the end of the Vietnam War. A we expect that among the issues Dis As muslims chanted and carried signs outside Manhattan a criminal court state us cussed will be consular Protection Finan Prem court Justice Alvin Schlesinger sentenced Al Sayyid a. Nos air to a maximum Cial claims and humanitarian assistance a term of 7w to 22 years in prison on gun Possession and assault charges. The judge a state department official said assailed nos Airis acquittal on charges he murdered extremist rabbi Meir Kahane. Officials said they were not expecting support for nos air an agreement establishing diplomatic ties to be reached yet. The United states had diplomatic relations with South Vietnam until it collapsed and was taken Over by North Vietnam at the end of the War in 1975. The officials cited two reasons for the administrations move to normalize relations a Vietnam a recent support for the cambodian peace agreement and its expanded cooperation in trying to help determine the Fate of american service members missing since the Indochina War. The state department also said a former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen. John w. Vessey jr., was scheduled to visit Hanoi thursday to talk about the missing service members