ITAR too far

[KA5S]

The Register (UK) cites reports that Americans of Iranian descent have been denied permission to buy an iPad and an iPhone after being heard speaking Farsi (Iranian) in Apple stores. The article includes a link to an Atlanta TV station video report.

excerpt

An Apple Store in the US state of Georgia refused to sell an iPad to an American teenager because she spoke the Iranian language Farsi in the store. A student in the nearby city of Atlanta was also banned from buying an iPhone for the same reason...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/06...tore_iran_ban/

Also see the Huffington Post on this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1609734.html

There are, however, apps for a Persian keyboard and dictionary.
itunes.apple.com/us/app/persian-farsi-keyboard/id464732288?mt...
itunes.apple.com/us/app/english-farsi-talking.../id353500228?mt=8

A final irony: a clerk who refused to sell was ALSO Iranian.


Cortland
KA5S

[KK4AMP]

The NY Daily News Article on this says that the clerk heard the Farsi-speaking person say that the iPad was to be a gift for her cousin in Iran. Iran is currently under a US trade embargo.

[N0SYA]

Something I find truly odd is that Iran is spending so much money on refining plutonium and thusly making itself a target for western and Israeli military action. I figure they could much more easily and cheaply buy their nukes from Russia or China or their comrad in arms, Pakistan. Must be a pride thing to them to tweak their enemies in front of the whole world rather than be financially sound.

[KG4RRH]

Something I find truly odd is that Iran is spending so much money on refining plutonium and thusly making itself a target for western and Israeli military action. I figure they could much more easily and cheaply buy their nukes from Russia or China or their comrad in arms, Pakistan. Must be a pride thing to them to tweak their enemies in front of the whole world rather than be financially sound.

Are you referring to black market sales? Russia and China are rather strong in the belief of the concepts of the NPT but it questionable if Russia actually has control over all of their facilities.

Pakistan is mostly worried about India and India is mostly worried about Pakistan. They have fought 4 formally declared wars and continue to exchange shots now and then. Pakistan is also one of the prime drivers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, repeatedly stressing rather good basic values. They do, just like most countries these day, have radical elements on all sides of most "issues". I doubt very much that Pakistan would want to reduce what they have (90-120 WH) by selling one but I personally believe that they're assisting Iran; just by the fact that "visiting" scientist tend to be Pakistani and appear to be on someone's hit list.

Then there's the fact that Iran wants to be "the" major influence in the region and has repeated stated that their only real problem is that Israel needs to be taken care of. If they were to hit Israel with a Pakistani device, would Pakistan be immune from attack?

Back to the original topic. If the clerk suspected the iPad was going to be exported, he may have acted correct. Anyone know what the ECCN is on an iPad?

[KG4RRH]

The Register (UK) cites reports that Americans of Iranian descent have been denied permission to buy an iPad and an iPhone after being heard speaking Farsi (Iranian) in Apple stores. The article includes a link to an Atlanta TV station video report.

excerpt

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/06...tore_iran_ban/

Also see the Huffington Post on this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1609734.html

There are, however, apps for a Persian keyboard and dictionary.
itunes.apple.com/us/app/persian-farsi-keyboard/id464732288?mt...
itunes.apple.com/us/app/english-farsi-talking.../id353500228?mt=8

A final irony: a clerk who refused to sell was ALSO Iranian.


Cortland
KA5S

Cortland,
I think you're confusing language with country....a common mistake for lots of people in the US. ITAR and export limits deal with countries, not the language the user uses.

[N5PVL]

Cortland,
I think you're confusing language with country....a common mistake for lots of people in the US. ITAR and export limits deal with countries, not the language the user uses.

I guess you kind of skipped over the part where they said that it was being bought for somebody in Iran.