Sloppy records make it hard to tell exactly what the United States is exporting to Iran, despite sanctions meant to ensure only humanitarian goods and no military items go there, congressional investigators say. The Government Accountability Office said Thursday that the government needs to produce complete and timely export licensing information to make sure Iran isn't getting weapons or nuclear technology.
Two Democrats — House Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman of California and committee member David Scott of Georgia — sought the GAO review after a 2008 Associated Press investigation found a dramatic rise in the dollar value of exports to Iran during President George W. Bush's tenure. The AP found several strange items in U.S. export data, including military rifles. The Bush administration said its data was inaccurate, and the guns actually went to Iraq.