Spy ring busted in Houston
The Houston Chronicle reports that the FBI has busted at least 11 people, former Slavs living in the US, in a plan to ship microtechnology to Russia;
In testimony Wednesday, FBI agent Crosby Houpt said that ARC disguised itself as a traffic-light manufacturer, then lied about what the microelectronics were to be used for in order to avoid drawing any suspicion from suppliers.
The equipment would be shipped from Houston through an airport in New York and then ultimately on to Russia.
“ARC would receive shopping lists from Russian entities, and they would go about acquiring the parts on the shopping lists,” Houpt testified.
He also said Fishenko and other company managers took steps to try and hide what was going on from some of their employees, especially any word that parts would be sent to the military.
In our continued focus on Russia’s inability to conform to living in a civilized world, a passenger plane from Moscow to Damascus was forced to land by Turkish jets in Ankara because of suspicious cargo aboard;
Some of the cargo was seized in Turkey before the passenger jet was allowed to continue its trip. No details were given of what was taken off the plane. ?
“We had no cargo on that airplane. We always deliver our weapons in full compliance with international norms,” said Vyacheslav Davidenko, spokesman for Russia’s monopoly arms exporter Rosoboronexport.
A Russian-operated ship carrying ammunition was stopped and searched in Cyprus in January. The ship reached Syria with the cargo days after promising the destination would not be Syria but Turkey.
I guess it’s tough to break your bad habits after decades of depending on an unstable world. Remember that this whole jihadist bullshit was originally funded by the KGB in the 70s & 80s – that’s kinda why they all carry the Kalashnikov rifles.
But, yeah, we need to point our missile shield at the Russians and let them know that’s what we’re doing instead of making up bullshit about pointing it at Iran. We wouldn’t have to worry about Iran’s nukes if they weren’t getting aid from the Russians, anyway.
Category: Foreign Policy
Just want to note that NCIS agents were involved in this.
Once again our military agencies (AFOSI/NCIS) making things happens.
Gibbs was there? Who knew! I thought he and Ducky were arguing in Gibbs’ basement again.
Turkey impounds military equipment on intercepted Syrian plane
DEBKAfile October 10, 2012, 11:06 PM (GMT+02:00)
Ankara reported 12 big parcels of military communications devices aboard the Syrian plane from Moscow forced by Turkish F16 fighters to land in Ankara Wednesday.
It’s a wise idea to remember the Russians are great at being murderous, lying b4stard, commie heathens with no respect for life. Kind of like their proxy warriors in the middle east.
Ex-PH2: IMO it’s more likely Gibbs sent DiNozzo to Houston. Gibbs knows DiNozzo is an east-coast kinda guy and likes to bust his . . . chops from time to time. (smile)
I just want to say, I’m a big fan of Texas justice. I sincerely hope these shitbags get everything they clearly deserve.
I thought the reason AKs were so popular was a)they’re dirt cheap after the fall of the Soviet Union, and b)even an idiot 3rd-world mooslimb can use one.
Nik: won’t be TX justice. Espionage is a Federal crime.
But the Federal government doesn’t much cotton to espionage, either.
@8
You are correct, Sir.
And yah. No parole for federal busts, as I understand it. You get sentenced to 20 years, you’re doing 20 years…or death, whichever comes first.
BTW … these cases are serious. The FEDs who work these cases come from virtually every agency. Commerce does great work in this regard. Tracking dual-use technolgy and the like is a BIG job and one that often goes unreported … because it just ain’t sexy!
Correct no parole!
@10
Knowledge that these assholes, if convicted…maybe I should call them alleged assholes, these alleged assholes, when convicted won’t be out early for good behavior is the kind of thing that helps me sleep at night.