In the wake of President Bushs re-election, the war on terrorism and the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan continues unabated. Contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan face tough challenges, including an increasingly perilous security environment, coupled with much public scrutiny worldwide. But on top of that, working in the region often involves dealing with a difficult overlay of U.S. sanctions, laws and regulations.
Few people are aware of the complexity and broad scope of such sanctions and many do not appreciate the fine efforts by many companies to adhere to these rules in a most challenging environment. Economic sanctions remain at the forefront of the war on terrorism, as shown by the implementation of sanctions against Syria last year, lifting of sanctions against Libya for apparent "good behavior" and possible heightened sanctions against Iran. And, as a technical matter, Iraq also remained sanctioned for some time after the initial U.S. military action.