It’s a rare day when Greenpeace and the Bush administration see eye to eye, but the environmental organization is siding with the White House in a fight against mahogany importers. Seven such importers have sued the administration for holding up 12 shipments of Brazilian mahogany, which have been stranded on U.S. docks since last winter due to concerns that they may violate Brazilian tax law or a 1975 international treaty on trade in wild animals and plants. The White House says holding up the shipment is a sign of its commitment to ending illegal logging around the globe. Reacting to the general surprise at the unusual alliance, Greenpeace forests campaigner Scott Paul said, “Despite popular opinion, we are nonpartisan and we do call them as we see them.”
