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|website = [http://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com UANI]
|website = [http://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com UANI]
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'''United Against Nuclear Iran''' ('''UANI''') is a non-partisan, non-profit [[Foreign policy interest group|advocacy organization]] that seeks "to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons."<ref>[http://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/about "About UANI"]</ref> Along with other advocacy campaigns, the organization leads efforts to pressure companies to stop doing business with Iran as a means to halt the Iranian regime's [[Nuclear program of Iran|nuclear program]] and its alleged development of [[Iran and weapons of mass destruction#Nuclear weapons|nuclear weapons]].
'''United Against Nuclear Iran''' ('''UANI''') is a neoconservative, non-profit [[Foreign policy interest group|advocacy organization]] that seeks "to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons."<ref>[http://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/about "About UANI"]</ref> Along with other advocacy campaigns, the organization leads efforts to pressure companies to stop doing business with Iran as a means to halt the Iranian regime's [[Nuclear program of Iran|nuclear program]] and its alleged development of [[Iran and weapons of mass destruction#Nuclear weapons|nuclear weapons]].


==Leadership==
==Leadership==

Revision as of 22:31, 25 May 2012

United Against Nuclear Iran
Formation2008
Executive Director
Mark Wallace
Key people
R. James Woolsey
WebsiteUANI

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a neoconservative, non-profit advocacy organization that seeks "to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons."[1] Along with other advocacy campaigns, the organization leads efforts to pressure companies to stop doing business with Iran as a means to halt the Iranian regime's nuclear program and its alleged development of nuclear weapons.

Leadership

The executive director of the organization is Mark Wallace, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, representative for UN Management and Reform.[2] Ambassadors Richard Holbrooke and Dennis Ross were the original co-founders and co-chairman of the organization before being appointed to positions in the Obama administration.[3]

Advisory board

UANI is also led by an advisory board that among others, includes:[3]

Corporate campaigns

UANI runs the Iran Business Registry (IBR)[1], "a running database of reputable media and academic reports of international corporations doing business in Iran." UANI encourages citizens to use the IBR to increase product awareness, divest, contact businesses as well as elected officials. It also calls on companies to sign a declaration to certify their company does not do business with Iran.[4] More than 500 companies are listed on UANI's IBR page.

General Electric

In September 2009, General Electric (GE) signed UANI's "Iran Business Declaration"[2] to not conduct business with Iran. As part of its pledge, GE will donate profits to charitable organizations from the sale of any humanitarian health care products to Iran.[5]

Huntsman

In January 2010, the American chemical company Huntsman said it would discontinue sales in Iran after coming under pressure from United Against Nuclear Iran. UANI reported that one of Huntsman's subsidiaries was selling polyurethanes in Iran, a dual-use material which UANI said could be used in the development of solid rocket fuel. In a statement, Huntsman said, "The small amount of business done there does not justify the reputational risk currently associated with doing business with entities located in Iran due to growing international concern over the policies of the current regime."[6]

Caterpillar

In response to a UANI pressure campaign, the heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar ceased its business in Iran through its non-U.S. subsidiaries. As part of the campaign, UANI erected a roadside billboard near the company's headquarters in Peoria, Illinois which pictured a Caterpillar digger alongside a picture of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with the slogan "Today's work, Tomorrow's Nuclear Iran."

UANI sought to link the activities of Caterpillar's wholly owned Canadian subsidiary Lovat, a manufacturer of tunnel boring machines, to Iran's alleged construction of tunnels to obscure and shield its nuclear facilities. Additionally, the Iranian company Arya Machinery, which marketed itself on its website as Iran's exclusive dealer of Caterpillar machinery, had been purchasing Caterpillar equipment from a Caterpillar subsidiary in Europe.[7][8][9]

Ingersoll Rand

In March 2010, UANI also succeeded in pressuring the U.S. manufacturing corporation Ingersoll Rand to stop doing business in Iran. In a letter to United Against Nuclear Iran, Ingersoll Rand CEO Michael Lamach said that effective immediately, the company would order its foreign subsidiaries to cease any dealings with Iran "in light of very real and escalating concerns about the intentions of the current regime in Iran."[10][11] At issue was the use of Ingersoll Rand air compressors used in industrial plants run by the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company.[12]

"Big Four" auditors

In March 2010, UANI called on KPMG, one of the global "Big Four" auditors, to cut its with Bayat Rayan, one of Iran's leading accountants.[13] In early April 2010, KPMG announced that it had severed its links with its Iranian member firm, citing "serious and escalating concerns" about the conduct of the Iranian government.[14]

In correspondence with UANI later in April, two of other Big Four auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young, stated that in recent years they had both cut ties to their Iranian member firms. UANI President Mark Wallace declared it a breakthrough that none of the Big Four continued to operate in Iran: "What it says is if it’s too risky for the Big Four accounting firms, it should be too risky for other companies."[15]

Cranes Campaign

In response to the Iranian regime's "execution binge" in 2011, UANI launched its "Cranes Campaign" in March 2011 with the goal of pressuring crane manufacturers worldwide to end their business in Iran in order to prevent the use of their equipment in public executions.[16][17] Through its campaign, UANI has succeeded in pressuring Terex (U.S.),[18] Tadano (Japan),[19] Liebherr,[20] UNIC (Japan),[21] and Konecranes (Finland)[22] to end their business in Iran. Tadano and UNIC, both of Japan, ended their Iran sales after UANI presented graphic photographic evidence of their cranes being used in public executions in the country.[23]

Legislation

In October 2009, UANI worked closely with Representatives Ron Klein (D) and John Mica (R) of Florida to introduce into the United States House of Representatives The Accountability for Business Choices in Iran Act (ABC Iran Act) which would preclude companies that conduct business in Iran from receiving U.S. government contracts. The legislation was created to prevent Iranian business partners like Nokia and Siemens from receiving large government contracts as well as foreign banks like Credit Suisse from receiving federal bailout money.[24] Representative Klein stated, "We need to send a strong message to corporations that we’re not going to continue to allow them to economically enable the Iranian government to continue to do what they have been doing."[25]

Hotels campaign

In the run-up to the September 2009 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), UANI called on New York hotels and venues to refuse to host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In its boycott campaign, UANI succeeded in having the Helmsley Hotel,[26] Gotham Hall,[27] and the Dubai-owned Essex House[28] cancel events in which Ahmadinejad was to attend and speak.

For the September 2010 UNGA, UANI relaunched its annual "Hotels Campaign"[3] and called on the Hilton Hotels chain to cancel its plans to host President Ahmadinejad and the Iranian delegation at the Hilton Manhattan East hotel.[29]

Television ad campaign

In June 2009, UANI began a television ad campaign. The first ad, entitled "Unclenched Fist," called for the U.S. to place economic pressure on Iran in order to prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons. Regarding the commercial, Ambassador Wallace stated, "He [Obama] offered an unclenched fist. Now it is up to the Iranian people and regime to extend a reciprocal open hand."[30]

On June 16, 2009, UANI released its second television ad, "Iran's Closed Hand," scheduled to be aired for several weeks. The commercial criticizes Iran's defiant attitude to American diplomatic outreach and advocates the economic isolation of the Islamic Republic.[31]

See also

References

  1. ^ "About UANI"
  2. ^ Perelman, Marc (September 11, 2008). "Broad-Based Coalition Seeks To Prevent a Nuclear Iran". The Forward. Retrieved June 18, 2009. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Leadership"
  4. ^ "Use the IBR" | UANI
  5. ^ Lorraine Woolert (22 September 2009). "Obama Aides Started Group Pressuring Siemens on Iran". Bloomberg News.
  6. ^ Bill Varner (27 January 2010). "Huntsman Stops Sales in Iran on Concern for Government Actions". Bloomberg News.
  7. ^ Harvey Morris (1 March 2010). "Caterpillar moves to cut links with Iran". Financial Times. p. A1.
  8. ^ Chip Cummins (2 March 2010). "Caterpillar Prohibits Sales of Equipment Bound for Iran". The Wall Street Journal. p. B2.
  9. ^ Jo Becker and Ron Nixon (12 March 2010). "Profiting From Iran, and the U.S." The New York Times.
  10. ^ Kris Maher and Jay Solomon (10 March 2010). "Ingersoll Bars Units From Sales to Iran". The Wall Street Journal. p. B1.
  11. ^ Ron Nixon (11 March 2010). "2 Multinationals Pull Back From Iran". The New York Times. p. A11.
  12. ^ "Ingersoll says fully disclosed sales to Iran". Reuters. 3 March 2010. [dead link]
  13. ^ Harvey Morris (14 March 2010). "Activists target KPMG over Iran ties". Financial Times.
  14. ^ Harvey Morris (3 April 2010). "KPMG ends ties". Financial Times.
  15. ^ Peter Baker (24 April 2010). "Companies Feeling More Pressure to Cut Iran Ties". The New York Times.
  16. ^ "UANI Calls on Terex to End Its Business in Iran in New Cranes Campaign". United Against Nuclear Iran. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  17. ^ Mark Wallace (6 July 2011). "Iran's execution binge". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  18. ^ Bob Tita (24 March 2011). "Terex Convinces Lobbying Group It Has Stopped Doing Business With Iran". Dow Jones Newswires. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  19. ^ Dudi Cohen (15 July 2011). "Japanese firm cuts ties with Iran over crane executions". YnetNews. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  20. ^ "Construction Company Liebherr to End Its Business in Iran Following UANI Cranes Campaign". United Against Nuclear Iran. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  21. ^ Reut Cohen (8 August 2011). "Crane Manufacturer, UNIC, Ends Business With Iran". Neon Tommy. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  22. ^ Reut Cohen (1 September 2011). "Finnish Crane Manufacturer Ends Business With Iran". Neon Tommy. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  23. ^ Stephen White (1 August 2011). "Execution evidence stops Tadano selling in Iran". ConstructionWeekOnline.com. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  24. ^ "UANI Legislation Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives". UANI. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  25. ^ Jo Becker and Ron Nixon (7 March 2010). "U.S. Enriches Companies Defying Its Policy on Iran". The New York Times. p. A1.
  26. ^ Campanile, Carl (18 September 2009). "A'jad gets heave-ho from Helmsley Hotel". The New York Post. Retrieved 18 September 2009. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  27. ^ Evansky, Ben (21 September 2009). "New York Businesses Give Iranian President Ahmadinejad the Cold Shoulder". Fox News. Retrieved 21 September 2009. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  28. ^ Goldman, Russell (24 September 2009). "Iranian President Ahmadinejad Booted From Third New York Hotel". ABC News. Retrieved 9 October 2009. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  29. ^ Carl Campanile (4 August 2010). "A'jad hotel boycott". New York Post. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  30. ^ Allen, Mike (June 8, 2009). "Anti-Iran nuke group launches TV ad". The Forward. Retrieved June 19, 2009. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  31. ^ "UANI Launches Second National Television Ad Campaign, 'Iran's Closed Hand'" | UANI
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