Rogue Planet

British dealers supply arms to Iran

Investigators have identified a number of British arms dealers trading with Tehran, triggering alarm among government officials who fear Iran's nuclear programme may be receiving significant support from UK sources.

The probe by customs officers suggests that at least seven Britons have been defying sanctions by supplying the Iranian air force, its elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, and even the country's controversial nuclear ambitions.

Officials say they are perturbed by the number of British dealers who appear to be trading with Tehran, despite a third round of restrictions being recently imposed by the United Nations on exporting arms and components to Iran. However, investigators argue that it is the generous riches being offered by Iran, not any shared ideology, that is seducing the dealers.

Among the examples uncovered is the case of a UK businessman caught smuggling components for use in guided missiles through a front company that proved to be the Iranian Ministry of Defence. Another case involves a group that included several Britons which, investigators alleged, attempted to export components intended to enhance the performance of Iranian aircraft.

Other examples involve a British millionaire arms dealer caught trading machine-guns used by the SAS and capable of firing 800 rounds a minute with a Tehran-based weapons supplier.

Customs offers are also working on a number of 'active investigations' which include several Britons and breach sanctions aimed at curbing Iran's military strength.

Man pleads guilty to plot to sell weapons to Iran

By Greg Krikorian
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 30, 2007

A West Hills man has pleaded guilty to an audacious plan to buy as many as 100,000 Uzis in the United States and sell them to officials in Iran's government.

Under a plea agreement reached this week, Seyed Mostafa Maghloubi, 49, acknowledged that he tried to obtain submachine guns and night vision goggles and ship them to Iran, in violation of U.S. laws prohibiting such transactions.

According to the plea agreement, Maghloubi's plan dated to at least October 2005 when he approached an unidentified individual and said he was interested in buying the weapons and goggles.

The individual, who was identified only as a cooperating witness for the government, brokered a meeting between Maghloubi and an undercover Los Angeles police detective who Maghloubi believed was an arms dealer.

Iran, Russia Reported To Be In Arms Deal

More 'Cold War 2.0' news...

July 30, 2007 10:27 a.m. EST

Julie Farby - AHN News Writer

Jerusalem, Israel (AHN)-Israeli officials say it is looking into reports that Russia and Iran have entered into an arms deal agreement that would supply Tehran with 250 advanced long-range Sukhoi-30 fighter jets in exchange for billions of dollars.

In addition to the fighter jets-which signify an improvement over Iran's previous aerial capabilities-Tehran is also reported to be buying Sukhoi-compatible fuel tankers designed to further extend the range of the jets.

The latest weapons deal between Tehran and Moscow is not the first time the two countries have done business. Russia was recently criticized over its decision to sell Iran advanced antiaircraft systems designed to protect Tehran's nuclear facilities. However, Russia dismisses the criticism, saying it is allowed to sell arms to Iran that are used for "defensive purposes."

This recent arms agreement between Russia and Iran comes as Washington announced its own billion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, reportedly worth around $20 billion over the next ten years.

[allheadlinenews.com]

Iran proposes bill against 'arms smugglers'

These guys can't be serious.  How about a similar bill controlling weapons being smuggled *out* of the country?

Tehran, July 21, IRNA - Vice-President for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hojjatoleslam Ahmad Mousavi said on Saturday that a bill for unishment of smugglers and holders of unauthorized arms and ammunition will be submitted to Majlis.

Hojatoleslam Mousavi said the bill, adopted by the cabinet on June 24, will be submitted to Majlis presiding body in the next parliamentary session.

He said the unauthorized arms and ammunition, smuggled occasionally into the country from the eastern and western neighboring states, prompt other crimes too.

He added that the latest law on punishment of the smugglers and holders of such arms dates back to 36 years ago, failing to cover chemical and biological substances and toxic gases.

Due to the same reason, he noted, Judiciary suggested the bill to the government.

Hojatoleslam Ahmadi said under the bill, the smugglers and holders of such arms would be subject to five to 12 years of prison terms and in case of resisting to government officers, they would be entenced to life imprisonment or capital punishment.

He added that anybody keeping, hiding or carrying light arms illegally or being engaged in building, assembly and any form of trading such weapons would receive three to 10 years of jail terms.

He went on to say that on the case of semi-heavy weapons, the holder, carrier, manufacturer, assembler or trader of such arms would be given five to 12 years in prison and if it is the heavy one, the person(s) would be sentenced to life imprisonment or capital punishment terms.

The holders and carriers of radioactive or biological substances would thus be sentenced to life imprisonment or capital punishment, the ones having military or chemical explosives would be given three to 12 years prison terms, the holders of flamatories or explosives would be targeted to two to five years in prison, the ones being guilty of having or carrying inflammables and explosives would receive six months to two years of jail terms plus a cash fine two to four times the value of the confiscated substances, and the holders of anaesthetics and tear gas to six months to three years of jails terms plus a cash fine two to four times the value of the confiscated materials, he concluded.

From [http://www.payvand.com]

14 Spy Squirrels in Iranian Custody

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007906268

Tomasz Filipczak - AHN

Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) -- Iranian authorities have recently arrested more than a dozen squirrels for espionage.

"In recent weeks, intelligence operatives have arrested 14 squirrels within Iran's borders," state-sponsored news agency IRNA reported. "The squirrels were carrying spy gear of foreign agencies, and were stopped before they could act, thanks to the alertness of our intelligence services."

Iran claims the rodents were being used by Western powers in an attempt to undermine the Islamic Republic.

Iranian police commander Esmaeil Ahmadi-Moqadam confirmed the report, saying that a number of squirrels had been caught bearing foreign spy gear within Iran's borders.

The rodents were taken into custody 2 weeks ago but few details have emerged about the incident. "I have heard about it, but I do not have precise information," said the police commander.

Iran has recently stepped up its anti-espionage efforts against the West. There have been no other documented uses of rodents in the past.

The Ultimate Export Control

Why F-14s are being put into a shredder.
by Reuben F. Johnson
07/23/2007

John Walker Jr. of the infamous Walker family spy ring was once asked how he had been able to pass some of the nation's most heavily guarded communications codes to the KGB for so long without being detected--almost 18 years, until he was caught in 1985. Walker's answer was both revealing and troubling. "Kmart has better security than the Navy," was his response. Fast-forward to 2007 and you wonder if that situation has changed much in the last 22 years. For decades the Navy's most formidable fighter aircraft was the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, immortalized in the 1986 Tony Scott-Don Simpson-Jerry Bruckheimer film Top Gun. In its day the F-14 was the king of the hill in fighter aircraft technology. Its Hughes AN/AWG-9 radar could track up to 24 targets simultaneously. Its AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missile, also made by Hughes, could shoot down aerial targets at a then-unthinkable range of 80 miles. This technology was considered to be of such strategic importance that only one foreign purchaser was ever allowed to procure the F-14: the Imperial Iranian Air Force that existed during the reign of the shah, which bought 79 of them.

Once a dealer, always a dealer...

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/878455.html

They just don't give up, those Mossad guys

By Reuven Pedatzur

Prisoner Nachum Manbar has gone on prison leave 56 times since being
jailed in 1997. During those leaves he was not required to report on
his whereabouts to anyone and no restrictions were applied to him.
The Shin Bet general security service approved the terms of his leave
with the full support of Yehiel Horev, who was in charge of security
for the defense establishment and known for his stringent approach.

About two weeks ago, after serving two thirds of a 16-year jail
sentence for selling arms to Iran, the release committee was about to
meet to consider Manbar's case. Surprisingly, the State Prosecutor's
position was against the release, as were the Mossad and the Shin Bet.

The first argument raised by the State Prosecutor's Office was "the
danger Manbar presented as a free man." There is concern, according
to the State Prosecutor's Office, that upon his release, Manbar would
resume his arms trading deals with Iran. But Manbar could have done
so during his many leaves from prison, when, as mentioned, he was not
subject to any supervision. It is doubtful that Iran would be willing
to resume the contact with Manbar after the whole affair exploded.