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CNN Live At Daybreak

Alleged Plot to Smuggle Shoulder-Fired Missile into United States

Aired August 13, 2003 - 05:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: That alleged plot to smuggle a shoulder fired missile into the United States had an international flavor to it. The suspected British arms dealer was arrested after arriving from London. So we want to check out that British connection.
For that, live to London and Diana Muriel -- Diana, what do we know about Hemad Lakhani?

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, details are still fairly sketchy, Carol.

But what we do know is that he's been named as Hemad Lakhani by senior U.S. government sources. Law enforcement sources say that he is a British citizen of Indian descent and that he is a well known independent arms dealer who, in the past, has had dealings with al Qaeda.

There's no suggestion that Lekhani is a member of any terrorist organization. But we believe that he is a middle-aged man, about 60 years old, and is, we believe, his address is in central London.

We know that he flew from Heathrow Airport in London to New York on Sunday. We believe he was accompanied by his wife and he was arrested by U.S. agents when he arrived in New York, where he went to complete the deal.

It's been reported that Scotland Yard has been raiding various addresses here in London in connection with this case. They have not given us any details about the locations of those raids or why, any details as to why these particular locations have been raided. And they're referring all calls by the press to the FBI.

But we have been speaking to weapons experts in this industry and they say that in Britain there is a very, very large arms fair which takes place once a year. And at this arms fair, which is hosted by the likes of BAE and, indeed, the Ministry of Defense, this is a jamboree for arms dealers, according to one expert that I spoke to, and that at these sorts of meetings, all sorts of contacts are made between arms dealers and companies that manufacture these weapons and, indeed, agents who sell these weapons from around the world.

And it's possible that Lekhani was known to some of the people at these arms fairs and that he worked and made contacts and did business dealings at these arms fairs.

There's a very big market for the kind of missile that he is alleged to have been engaged in selling...

COSTELLO: May I interrupt you for just a second -- Diana?

MURIEL: This, of course...

COSTELLO: May I interrupt? I want to go back to the arms fair, because I know it's illegal to carry weapons in Britain. Are these arms fairs legal and do they sell things like shoulder fired missiles?

MURIEL: They are legal and they are monitored very carefully. In fact, it's very difficult to get access to these arms fairs and it takes a lot of networking and connections. But the people I have spoken to say that this is a relatively small community out there of arms dealers. And many of them do have bona fide contacts with some of these companies, indeed, act as agents on behalf of other governments, as well. And so it is possible for them to gain access to these arms fairs.

But not all of them conduct their business there for legitimate purposes and that some of them have been known to conduct nefarious business dealings at these sorts of arms fairs -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Very interesting.

Diana Muriel live from London.

We'll get back to you in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

I want to read to you something out of the New Jersey "Star- Ledger," as well. Supposedly this is what Hemad Lakhani, this alleged arms dealer, told police. It says -- this is the New Jersey "Star- Ledger" again -- it says, "It was unclear last night whether Lekhani had any direct links to al Qaeda, but the evidence against him is expected to include audio or videotapes in which he speaks favorably of the group's leader, Osama bin Laden. In one conversation, he allegedly praises bin Laden for a good thing, referring to the September 11 attacks." And that's according to a source familiar with the tape.

In another tape, Lekhani tells his buyer that "Americans are bastards."

We're going to have much more about this man later on DAYBREAK and, of course, throughout the day on CNN. If you have any doubt about how dangerous shoulder fired missiles can be, listen to this. The head of the Transportation Security Administration, James Loy, says that since 1978, 35 shoulder launched missile attacks have brought down 24 civilian planes, killing as many as 500 people. Loy says all of the attacks came in war torn areas, including Afghanistan, Africa and Asia, and they involved rebel groups. But last year in Kenya, two missiles believed to have been fired by al Qaeda narrowly missed an Israeli commercial airliner. Also last year, security guards at an air base used by the U.S. military in Saudi Arabia found a missile tube two miles from a runway. The tube was found intact, indicating the missile either misfired or was not fired. When you get to your office this morning, be sure to log onto cnn.com for more details on this alleged missile plot, the international intrigue and all of that, AOL keyword: CNN.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




States>


Aired August 13, 2003 - 05:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: That alleged plot to smuggle a shoulder fired missile into the United States had an international flavor to it. The suspected British arms dealer was arrested after arriving from London. So we want to check out that British connection.
For that, live to London and Diana Muriel -- Diana, what do we know about Hemad Lakhani?

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, details are still fairly sketchy, Carol.

But what we do know is that he's been named as Hemad Lakhani by senior U.S. government sources. Law enforcement sources say that he is a British citizen of Indian descent and that he is a well known independent arms dealer who, in the past, has had dealings with al Qaeda.

There's no suggestion that Lekhani is a member of any terrorist organization. But we believe that he is a middle-aged man, about 60 years old, and is, we believe, his address is in central London.

We know that he flew from Heathrow Airport in London to New York on Sunday. We believe he was accompanied by his wife and he was arrested by U.S. agents when he arrived in New York, where he went to complete the deal.

It's been reported that Scotland Yard has been raiding various addresses here in London in connection with this case. They have not given us any details about the locations of those raids or why, any details as to why these particular locations have been raided. And they're referring all calls by the press to the FBI.

But we have been speaking to weapons experts in this industry and they say that in Britain there is a very, very large arms fair which takes place once a year. And at this arms fair, which is hosted by the likes of BAE and, indeed, the Ministry of Defense, this is a jamboree for arms dealers, according to one expert that I spoke to, and that at these sorts of meetings, all sorts of contacts are made between arms dealers and companies that manufacture these weapons and, indeed, agents who sell these weapons from around the world.

And it's possible that Lekhani was known to some of the people at these arms fairs and that he worked and made contacts and did business dealings at these arms fairs.

There's a very big market for the kind of missile that he is alleged to have been engaged in selling...

COSTELLO: May I interrupt you for just a second -- Diana?

MURIEL: This, of course...

COSTELLO: May I interrupt? I want to go back to the arms fair, because I know it's illegal to carry weapons in Britain. Are these arms fairs legal and do they sell things like shoulder fired missiles?

MURIEL: They are legal and they are monitored very carefully. In fact, it's very difficult to get access to these arms fairs and it takes a lot of networking and connections. But the people I have spoken to say that this is a relatively small community out there of arms dealers. And many of them do have bona fide contacts with some of these companies, indeed, act as agents on behalf of other governments, as well. And so it is possible for them to gain access to these arms fairs.

But not all of them conduct their business there for legitimate purposes and that some of them have been known to conduct nefarious business dealings at these sorts of arms fairs -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Very interesting.

Diana Muriel live from London.

We'll get back to you in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

I want to read to you something out of the New Jersey "Star- Ledger," as well. Supposedly this is what Hemad Lakhani, this alleged arms dealer, told police. It says -- this is the New Jersey "Star- Ledger" again -- it says, "It was unclear last night whether Lekhani had any direct links to al Qaeda, but the evidence against him is expected to include audio or videotapes in which he speaks favorably of the group's leader, Osama bin Laden. In one conversation, he allegedly praises bin Laden for a good thing, referring to the September 11 attacks." And that's according to a source familiar with the tape.

In another tape, Lekhani tells his buyer that "Americans are bastards."

We're going to have much more about this man later on DAYBREAK and, of course, throughout the day on CNN. If you have any doubt about how dangerous shoulder fired missiles can be, listen to this. The head of the Transportation Security Administration, James Loy, says that since 1978, 35 shoulder launched missile attacks have brought down 24 civilian planes, killing as many as 500 people. Loy says all of the attacks came in war torn areas, including Afghanistan, Africa and Asia, and they involved rebel groups. But last year in Kenya, two missiles believed to have been fired by al Qaeda narrowly missed an Israeli commercial airliner. Also last year, security guards at an air base used by the U.S. military in Saudi Arabia found a missile tube two miles from a runway. The tube was found intact, indicating the missile either misfired or was not fired. When you get to your office this morning, be sure to log onto cnn.com for more details on this alleged missile plot, the international intrigue and all of that, AOL keyword: CNN.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




States>