US companies skirt ban on trade with Iran

US security products are openly on display at a trade fair in Iran, despite sanctions banning virtually all trade and transfer of technology to the Islamic republic.
Iran's first International Police and Security Equipment Exhibition, which opened in Tehran this week, has revealed that the imposition of US sanctions in 1995 is failing to prevent US companies profiting from sales to Iran conducted through foreign subsidiaries or middle-men.
President George W. Bush has branded Iran, Iraq and North Korea an "axis of evil" intent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction.
Among the US products on display on Wednesday were closed-circuit televisions produced by Pelco, face-recognition systems by Visionics, access control by Apollo Security, satellite pictures by Space Imaging, printers by Hewlett-Packard and communications equipment by Motorola.
None of the US companies was available for comment in Iran. Stalls selling the equipment were staffed by Iranians who described themselves as private business people, acting as "representatives" of the US companies.