Allegations of governments themselves counterfeiting U.S. banknotes have surfaced in the past. In 1992, a U.S. House of Representatives task force released a report alleging that Iran and Syria formed a conspiracy to counterfeit U.S. dollars in order to strengthen Iran's economy and weaken the United States. Speaking at a press conference on 1 July 1992, Representative Bill McCollum stated: "The fact of the matter is that the Iranian government, in cooperation with Syria, has undertaken a massive counterfeiting campaign in order to alleviate their financial difficulties and pursue economic warfare against the West."