(2005-09-23) Bush Waives Most Trafficking Sanctions

George W Bush waived sanctions on all but 3 countries known to have Human Trafficking problems. In June, the State Department listed 14 countries as failing to adequately address trafficking problems, subjecting them all to possible sanctions if they did not crack down... That left Myan Mar (Burma), Cuba and North Korea as the only nations in the list of 14 barred completely from receiving certain kinds of Foreign Aid. The act does not include cutting off Trade Assistance or Humanitarian Aid, Darla Jordan said. The White House statement offered no explanation of why countries were regarded differently. Jordan also could not provide one. As many as 800,000 people are bought and sold across national borders annually or lured to other countries with false promises of work or other benefits, according to the State Department. Most are women and children.