New York, April 6, IRNA -- The US government on Monday hinted it has lifted the article banning the publication and editing of articles by nationals of the countries in US sanctions' lists, including, and particularly the Iranian scientists.

The US daily New York Times announcing the news in its Monday edition, added that the US Treasure Department in a letter addressed to the International Electrical and Electronic Engineers Institute (IEEEI) announced that the publication and editing of such articles will not be monitored by that US organization.

The law on banning the editing and publication of articles by nationals of the countries in US sanctions' list was approved by the US congress after the Defense Department purposed a bill requesting the adoption of such a measure last week and raised serious criticism inside and outside USA.

The IEEEI publishes over 30 percent of the articles related to computer sciences, electronics and electrical engineering annually and the bulk of such articles are by third world scientists, particularly the Iranians.

The IEEEA head Arthur Winston told the New York Times that although the US Treasure Department's letter has been addressed to his association, he believes it is applicable to all scientists' articles and their publication in any scientific magazine and periodical.

The US publishers and the US Treasure Department have been engaged in a controversial debate regarding the need to exempt the publication of informative and scientific articles from the newly proposed sanctions lists against Iran, Libya, Sudan, Cuba and North Korea.

The US Congress had earlier announced that such exemptions from its sanctions against the said countries are permitted, but the US Treasure Department had last year reiterated that any kind of editing, or publication of articles by nationals of those countries was forbidden by US laws.

The penalty for violators of that law was $500,000 cash, plus a ten year imprisonment term for the publisher.

... Payvand News - 4/6/04 ... --