dare i hope?

So yesterday afternoon, I received the following email from the official “[email protected]” email address at the BATFE: 

U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Dear Sir or Madame:

Thank you for responding to the Shotgun Study. Your assistance will further promote ATF’s ability to support the firearms industry.  We will review and consider your comments and suggestions.
If you have any questions, you may contact the Firearms and Explosives Industry Division @ 202-648-7090. Once again, thank you for your email.

Firearms and Explosives Industry Division
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

At the time, I figured the communication consisted of nothing more than the power-happy petty-authoritarians telling us lowly proles, “Thanks for your input, now we are going to do what we were planning on doing the entire time,” which annoyed me a little, since I was hoping to one day own a Saiga just for the fun of it (and since this entire situation is nothing more than a blatant abuse of power and the English language). 

But, then, by way of the Gunblogger Conspiracy, I find this little nugget: 

IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT APPROVED THE IMPORTATION OF SAIGA 12′S AS A SPORTING FIREARM……WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE CONTAINERS HITTING SHORES IN ABOUT 30 DAYS OR SO….

ALSO WILL HOPEFULLY SEE A SIGNIFICANT PRICE REDUCTION IN THE SAIGA 12′S NOW THAT THEY ARE APPROVED AS A SPORTING FIREARM!!!

Regards,

Stacey Goodwin, Sales Consultant

Interstate Arms Corp.

Now, I am kind of confused why the State Department is stepping into the issue when it is a Department of Justice project, and I am likewise a bit confused how a firearm dealer who does not import Saigas would be the first to announce the news, but… hey, hope is hope, right?