"It's absurd. It's ridiculous. It's hard to believe." With those words, Senator Robert Dole of Kansas last week voiced his indignation over the news that the U.S. imported some $700 million in Iranian oil during the summer. In response, the minority leader sponsored a bill to ban all imports from Iran, which passed the Senate the next day, 98 to 0. Said Dole: "It's time to end this absurdity."
In fact, the Senate resolution is unlikely to do that, since it is attached to a defense-appropriations bill President Reagan has promised to veto because it places restrictions on his Strategic Defense...