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May 07, 2007

US to ignore WTO Ruling on Gambling?

Poker News reported today, that the US intends to IGNORE the recent ruling by the World Trade Orgainization ( of which the US is a LEADING member ), regarding online gambling!!!

Deputy U.S. Trade Secretary John K. Veroneau was quoted as saying:

"U.S. laws banning interstate gambling have been in place for decades," stated Veroneau. "Most WTO Members have similar laws. Unfortunately, in the early 1990s, when the United States was drafting its international commitments to open its market to recreational services, we did not make it clear that these commitments did not extend to gambling. Moreover, back in 1993 no WTO member could have reasonably thought that the United States was agreeing to commitments in direct conflict with its own laws."

Veroneau continued with the following: "Neither the United States nor other WTO Members noticed this oversight in the drafting of U.S. commitments until Antigua and Barbuda initiated a WTO case ten years later. In its consideration of this matter, the WTO panel acknowledged that the United States did not intend to adopt commitments that were inconsistent with its own laws. However, under WTO rules, dispute settlement findings must be based on the text of commitments and other international documents, rather than the intent of the party. The United States strongly supports the rules-based trading system and accepts the dispute settlement findings. In light of those findings, we will use WTO procedures for clarifying our commitments."

I guess whats good for the goose, is NOT necicarlly good for the gander where the US Government is concerned, huh?

Read the entire article Here

Posted by fatbill at May 7, 2007 12:00 PM

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