Missile Plot - Briton Arrested on Suspicion of Planning to Smuggle Missile Into U.S

ABC News ^ | 8/12/03

[areafiftyone]

A British citizen has been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a plot to smuggle surface-to-air missiles into the United States, ABCNEWS has learned.

The man was arrested in Newark, N.J., this morning as part of an international sting pulled off by the FBI, British and Russian authorities. Other arrests are under way.

The person arrested allegedly sought to smuggle a Russian-made surface-to-air missile into the country and believed he was selling missiles to would-be terrorists, sources said. The name of the person has not been disclosed

[mewzilla]

Iglas are pretty popular apparently. Here's an excerpt from this link:

Reports that Russia has been selling arms to Iraq have surfaced repeatedly in recent months. On 23 February, "The Sacramento Bee" reported that Russian-made S-300P missiles had been sold by a Russian-Belarusian company (see "RFE/RL Organized Crime and Terrorism Watch," 13 March 2003). On 8 February, the "Financial Times" reported that Russian suppliers had attempted to sell Igla surface-to-air missiles "where the ultimate destination of Iraq was concealed by using 'cover' purchasers in neighboring countries such as Syria."

[jimbo123]

Brition arrested in 'terror missile' sting
A Briton has been arrested after a suspected plot to supply a lethal surface-to-air missile to terrorists.
It is thought the target may have been a commercial aircraft or the US President's personal aircraft.

Western intelligence officials have confirmed to the BBC it was a multinational sting operation, involving agents from the US, Russia and Britain.

It resulted in the arrest of a British arms dealer at Newark in New Jersey on Tuesday.

Officials say he successfully imported a Russian-made Igla missile into the US and believed he was selling it to an Muslim extremist.

But his buyer was an undercover FBI agent and the arms dealer's voice is heard on tape saying he wanted the missile to be used to shoot down a large passenger plane.


The Igla
Russian-made surface-to-air missile
4km range
Infra-red capability
believed to have been responsible for the shooting down last year in Chechnya of a Russian troop-carrying helicopter
The FBI have denied that the plane in question was Airforce One, the US President's official aircraft.
Although no actual terrorists are thought to have been involved in the operation, intelligence officials said it was a terrifying illustration of the vulnerability of Western nations to attack by extremists.

Over the last 15 months, there have been three foiled attempts by groups linked to al-Qaeda to shoot down planes carrying Western or Israeli passengers.

BBC correspondent Tom Mangold said the man bought one for $85,000 by corrupt middle management at a Russian factory and was promised another 50.


Old enemies really have joined hands
Tom Mangold
BBC
He said: "It may not have happened, but when the dealer says he wants to bring down Airforce One, it's pretty dispiriting."
He added the sting demonstrated "fantastic" cooperation between the US, Russia and Britain.

"Old enemies really have joined hands," he said.

Washington officials are remaining tight-lipped about the operation but admitted there had been an arrest.

MI5 and MI6 in London were involved with Russian secret services and the FBI.

Putin help

Russia detected the arms dealer five months ago in St Petersburg.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, authorised for the FBI to have an undercover agent sent to Russia.

The arms dealer flew to New York on Sunday on a British Airways flight from Heathrow Airport in London.

But he was followed on to the plane and kept under surveillance until his arrest.

The man is an established arms dealer, thought to be a middle aged man of Indian origin, who lives in London.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/3146025.stm

[RoughDobermann]

Weird

[Ex-Dem]

Ooops, you're right. I just reread the article. Seems that the dealer wanted the missile to be bought by someone for the purpose of taking out an aircraft, quite possibly Air Force One.

I hope they've arrested the factory manager who allowed the missile to be given to the dealer.

[Sabretooth]

That Pershing story has never been confirmed. Go look at Snopes.com

Sorry about the fool remark Im just sick of people thinking you can combat militant islam with pig fat.

Since the 9/11 guys were into nudey bars, I doubt a little bacon would bother them. The whole idea is ludacris.

[mewzilla]

Here's another link with some info on Iglas. And mentions Liberia, too. Small world.

[Eurotwit]

I think that even the Singaporean armed forces uses the Igla

[eno_]

It's possible it could look for characteristic spectra of fuel combustion, instead of just whatever is brightest in the IR range. But I think it is more likely that's an error.

[mewzilla]

Singapore. Great :(

[Shermy]

"Old enemies really have joined hands," he said.

Bush's 2002 State of the Union speech:

"...In this moment of opportunity, a common danger is erasing old rivalries. America is working with Russia, China, and India in ways we never have before to achieve peace and prosperity..."

Guess who the "common danger" is.

[eno_]

From #50: "The seeker is sensitive enough to home in on airframe radiation, and the two-color sensitivity is designed to minimize vulnerability to flares."

[Catspaw]

Do you know if the guy is from New Jersey or just getting on a plane in Newark?

[Ex-Dem]

He's a Brit (lives in London) that had just flown into Newark from London Heathrow. Apparently he was under surveillance during the flight.

[Pro-Bush]

I bet Russia is feeling pretty good right now, with potentially preventing President Bush from being shot down in Air Force 1. That is how Prvada will spin it anyway.

[RoughDobermann]

From #50: "The seeker is sensitive enough to home in on airframe radiation, and the two-color sensitivity is designed to minimize vulnerability to flares.'

Right, the seeker on our Sidewinders and AMRAAMs are sensitive enough to acquire a target flying toward them from the heat produced by air friction against the leading edge of the wing, but that's still infrared. I assume that's what they mean by "airframe radiation."

[GretchenEE]

Related:

"Three linked to al-Qaeda missile plot extradited to US"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/858057/posts?page=2

[Catspaw]

He's a Brit (lives in London) that had just flown into Newark from London Heathrow. Apparently he was under surveillance during the flight.

Ah...my daughter lives in NJ & I needed to know if I should ask her if any of her neighbors are missing. Now I know the guy just came into to the US--or was leaving out of Newark.

[Imperialist]

"Because the person has an Islamic name."

Yep. I wish they would just say the guy's friggin islamic name, by which he most oftenly goes by and is known as. This islamic thing where they get to have 10 different names is purely a tactic. Another sham is that crappy drape they force women to wear to cover them completely. These cowardly terrorists are moving around themselves and weapons dressed as women! Cowards. Anyway.

Whoever this guy is, he will be named in the media by his western name, just like john lee malvo, the sniper was.

The radical islamic threat the USA is faceing can not be glossed over.

We either deal with the islamists now, haveing suffered a relatively low loss, by sending them back to their country of Origin, or later, after a huge loss finally forces America to realize that islam can not exist here. Glossing it over with fake names and such, only delays the inevitable: The removal of the intolerant religion of islam from America. The questions that remain are why, when, and how(Constitutionally?(declare islam a death cult maybe?))?

Sorry for the rant. I'm real sick of these islamists.

[eno_]

Heated metal - e.g. the tungsten in a lamp filament - radiates in a particular spectrum. So I'd bet there is some filter that is tuned for hot aluminum in the seeker. It could be outside the IR spectrum, of course, otherwise lightbulbs would be IR and you would not see hot metals of any kind glow.

[Doe Eyes]

From Post 50:

The 9M313 missile of the SA-16 employs an IR guidance system using proportional convergence logic, and an improved two-color seeker, presumably IR and UV.

This means the missile is tracking a target by using energy in two bands, IR and UV, both of which are produce by an aircraft engine. I believe this technique makes them less vulnerable to electronic countermeasures.