http://www.drudgereport.com/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,94522,00.html
British Citizen, Two Others Arrested in Missile Plot
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
NEW YORK — Three people, including a British man, were arrested in the New York City area Tuesday in an alleged plot to smuggle a surface-to-air missile (search) into the United States, the FBI (search) confirmed to Fox News.
A law enforcement source told Fox News that of the arrests, the "big one" involved a British national who was arrested in Newark, N.J. The two other arrests were made in New York City, including that of an Afghani national. The source said, "we got everyone we wanted in the U.S."
Arrest warrants were also being executed in the United Kingdom and Russia, according to the source.
Another law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the British man does not appear to be connected to a known terrorist group. The suspect is thought to be more of an arms dealer or smuggler, the official said.
A surface-to-air missile, identified by a source as an SA-18 (search) that is "capable of shooting down a plane," was confiscated.
Authorities stressed no specific credible threat was connected to the alleged plot.
The source said the suspect should make an initial appearance tomorrow at the federal court in Newark. The U.S. Attorney's office in Newark would not comment.
The arrest was part of a broader investigation by the FBI, British and Russian authorities.
It was not immediately clear whether the plot was connected to Al Qaeda (search) or some other terrorist network. Justice Department officials had no immediate comment on the case.
Concerns about terrorists using shoulder-fired missiles to shoot down commercial airliners increased in November when two SA-7 missiles (search) narrowly missed an Israeli passenger jet after it took off from Mombasa, Kenya. Officials concluded that Al Qaeda probably was behind the attack, which coincided with a bomb blast at a nearby hotel.
Hundreds and perhaps thousands of SA-7s — heat-seeking rockets that can hit low-flying aircraft within three miles — are said to be available on the worldwide arms market. Older missile launchers can be bought for as little as several thousand dollars.
The Homeland Security Department (search) has asked high-tech companies to look into developing anti-missile technology for commercial planes. Some in Congress have been pushing for more money for the project.
Meanwhile, the United States has sent experts to domestic airports as well as to airports in Iraq and major capitals in Europe and Asia to assess security. Among other things, the investigators are determining whether the airports can be defended against shoulder-fired missiles.
World leaders meeting in Evian, France, in June acknowledged the threat posed by shoulder-fired missiles and adopted a plan to restrict sales of the weapons.
Fox News' Catherine Herridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3146025.stm
http://www.drudgereport.com/
A Briton has been arrested in the US after a suspected plot to supply a lethal surface-to-air missile to terrorists.
It is thought the alleged target might 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.
Threat of the Igla missile
The FBI have denied that the plane in question was Air Force One, the US President's official aircraft.
They insist they were aware the missile was being brought into the US at Baltimore docks, shipped from Russia and disguised as medical equipment.
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.
The FBI deny the presidential aircraft was a target
He said: "It may not have happened, but when the dealer says he wants to bring down Airforce One, it's pretty dispiriting."
He said flats in London were being searched by Scotland Yard and more arrests could follow.
The sting demonstrated "fantastic" cooperation between the US, Russia and Britain, added Mangold.
"Old enemies really have joined hands," he said.
MI5 and MI6 in London were involved with Russian secret services FSB and the FBI.
Putin help
Russia detected the arms dealer five months ago in St Petersburg and Moscow, then kept under surveillance.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, authorised for the FBI to have an undercover agent sent to Russia to work with the FSB.
The arms dealer flew to New York with his wife on Sunday at 1330 BST on a British Airways flight from Heathrow Airport in London.
But he was followed on to the plane by an FBI agent and arrested in New Jersey after he collected a package marked 'medical supplies'.
The man is an established arms dealer, thought to be a middle aged man of Indian origin, who lives in London.
Washington officials are remaining tight-lipped about the operation but admitted there had been an arrest.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,94522,00.html
British Citizen, Two Others Arrested in Missile Plot
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
NEW YORK — Three people, including a British man, were arrested in the New York City area Tuesday in an alleged plot to smuggle a surface-to-air missile (search) into the United States, the FBI (search) confirmed to Fox News.
A law enforcement source told Fox News that of the arrests, the "big one" involved a British national who was arrested in Newark, N.J. The two other arrests were made in New York City, including that of an Afghani national. The source said, "we got everyone we wanted in the U.S."
Arrest warrants were also being executed in the United Kingdom and Russia, according to the source.
Another law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the British man does not appear to be connected to a known terrorist group. The suspect is thought to be more of an arms dealer or smuggler, the official said.
A surface-to-air missile, identified by a source as an SA-18 (search) that is "capable of shooting down a plane," was confiscated.
Authorities stressed no specific credible threat was connected to the alleged plot.
The source said the suspect should make an initial appearance tomorrow at the federal court in Newark. The U.S. Attorney's office in Newark would not comment.
The arrest was part of a broader investigation by the FBI, British and Russian authorities.
It was not immediately clear whether the plot was connected to Al Qaeda (search) or some other terrorist network. Justice Department officials had no immediate comment on the case.
Concerns about terrorists using shoulder-fired missiles to shoot down commercial airliners increased in November when two SA-7 missiles (search) narrowly missed an Israeli passenger jet after it took off from Mombasa, Kenya. Officials concluded that Al Qaeda probably was behind the attack, which coincided with a bomb blast at a nearby hotel.
Hundreds and perhaps thousands of SA-7s — heat-seeking rockets that can hit low-flying aircraft within three miles — are said to be available on the worldwide arms market. Older missile launchers can be bought for as little as several thousand dollars.
The Homeland Security Department (search) has asked high-tech companies to look into developing anti-missile technology for commercial planes. Some in Congress have been pushing for more money for the project.
Meanwhile, the United States has sent experts to domestic airports as well as to airports in Iraq and major capitals in Europe and Asia to assess security. Among other things, the investigators are determining whether the airports can be defended against shoulder-fired missiles.
World leaders meeting in Evian, France, in June acknowledged the threat posed by shoulder-fired missiles and adopted a plan to restrict sales of the weapons.
Fox News' Catherine Herridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3146025.stm
http://www.drudgereport.com/
A Briton has been arrested in the US after a suspected plot to supply a lethal surface-to-air missile to terrorists.
It is thought the alleged target might 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.
Threat of the Igla missile
The FBI have denied that the plane in question was Air Force One, the US President's official aircraft.
They insist they were aware the missile was being brought into the US at Baltimore docks, shipped from Russia and disguised as medical equipment.
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.
The FBI deny the presidential aircraft was a target
He said: "It may not have happened, but when the dealer says he wants to bring down Airforce One, it's pretty dispiriting."
He said flats in London were being searched by Scotland Yard and more arrests could follow.
The sting demonstrated "fantastic" cooperation between the US, Russia and Britain, added Mangold.
"Old enemies really have joined hands," he said.
MI5 and MI6 in London were involved with Russian secret services FSB and the FBI.
Putin help
Russia detected the arms dealer five months ago in St Petersburg and Moscow, then kept under surveillance.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, authorised for the FBI to have an undercover agent sent to Russia to work with the FSB.
The arms dealer flew to New York with his wife on Sunday at 1330 BST on a British Airways flight from Heathrow Airport in London.
But he was followed on to the plane by an FBI agent and arrested in New Jersey after he collected a package marked 'medical supplies'.
The man is an established arms dealer, thought to be a middle aged man of Indian origin, who lives in London.
Washington officials are remaining tight-lipped about the operation but admitted there had been an arrest.
