WASHINGTON LEVELS SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIAN FIRMS.

The Clinton Administration yesterday imposed sanctions on seven Russian enterprises believed to be aiding Iran in the development of ballistic missiles. The seven enterprises are the INOR scientific center, the Grafit and Polyus research institutes, Glavkosmos, the MOSO company, Baltic State Technical University and Europalace 2000. The administration has not yet decided whether to impose sanctions on two other Russian enterprises: the Tikhomirov Institute and the Komintern plant in Novosibirsk. In a move applauded by Washington, the Russian government’s commission on export controls announced on July 15 that it was investigating these nine enterprises on suspicion of improperly exporting sensitive military technologies abroad. (See Monitor, July 16)

The executive order signed by Clinton yesterday bars U.S. government assistance to the seven enterprises and also forbids them from exporting goods to, or importing goods from, the United States. The order also expands the president’s authority to act against foreign entities around the world that are believed to have assisted in the transfer of dangerous weapons and weapons technology, the White House said in a statement. The action by the Clinton Administration comes amid mounting pressure from U.S. lawmakers to take action against foreign firms that are believed to have transferred sensitive weapons technology to Iran. Yesterday’s executive order also comes only days after the test-firing by Iran of a Shahab-3 medium range ballistic missile. (AP, Reuter, July 29)

SOUTH KOREA DENIES DEAL ENDING SPY ROW.