A World-Class Thug
"Ali Manzarpour, a Brighton-based businessman, is in jail in Poland awaiting extradition to the United States, despite never having visited the country. He is charged with trying to export an experimental single-engine aircraft to Iran. This is not believed to have contravened any British or European law, but because the aircraft originated in the US, the Americans are claiming jurisdiction.”
[….]
“Cases being brought by the US Department of Commerce against companies breaching export rules indicate that, apart from rare cases, such as that of ITT, nearly all involve small operations. Companies such as Shell, which is planning a £5 billion liquid natural gas venture in Iran, and Halliburton, which had an office in Tehran for years, appear to be of less concern to authorities in Washington than an individual allegedly attempting to sell a light aircraft.”
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Mr Manzarpour was arrested in Poland in February 2005. Questions were raised in the House of Lords on the 26th February & then the 30th March 2006. Members were furious at the Americans’ ‘excessive demands’, especially since Mr Manzarpour could not have been extradited from Britain, where his activities were perfectly legal:
“Lord Goodhart : My Lords, is this not an example of the US Government's aggressive use of the powers to obtain extradition and of the submission by too many countries—including, in other cases, our own—to those excessive demands?”
[…..]
“Lord Waddington: My Lords, is it not correct that, in exporting the goods to Iran from Britain, Mr Manzarpour broke no British law and, if he had remained in Britain, there would have been no question of his being extradited to the United States? If that be correct, why are we not protesting vigorously to the American authorities at their attempt to have Mr Manzarpour sent to America from Poland to stand trial for acts that took place in Britain and that were not contrary to our law?”
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Every empire in world history has had definite borders within which its writ ran. If its armies crossed those borders it was at least in defence of those borders. Only the US govt has so arrogantly claimed jurisdiction over a foreign national, whose actions all occurred in a foreign country, where those actions were completely legal. And only the single hapless individual is thus pursued. This is just simple bullying -- on a world scale.