Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Missile in Dealer's Arrest Was Dummy Provided by Russians
Aired August 13, 2003 - 11:01 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We are awaiting word this hour from the federal courthouse in Newark, New Jersey. You see it there live. Our Deborah Feyerick is inside where a judge is considering the charges against an alleged British arms dealer. He's accused in a plot to sell a shoulder-fired missile to undercover agents. We of course will be watching that and bring any new information to you as it becomes available.
And the threat in the skies is up. First on CNN this hour, a frightening scenario could have played out had the buyers been real terrorists. The missile could have been used to shoot down a commercial flight filled with hundreds of people. Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is in Washington on this story right now. Hello to you once again, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. We are expecting to learn more about this case this morning when the three men who have been arrested appear in a Newark, New Jersey courtroom, and when some of the officials involved in this case hold a news conference.
From a variety of sources, we have gleaned a few new details about how this sting was executed. A key player, according to government sources, an independent arms dealer identified as Hekmat Lakhani, a British citizen of Indian descent. Sources close to the investigation say this is an individual who in the past has sold weapons to terrorist groups and also to rogue nations.
Authorities got wind that he was offering to sell shoulder-fired missiles U.S. agents offered to buy. The dealer said he wanted $85,000 for a missile and went to Russia to get one. Russian authorities sold him a dummy missile, which the dealer then shipped to the U.S. disguised as medical supplies. Some sources say it went to Baltimore. Others say the end destination was Newark, New Jersey. There were meetings, sources say with informants and agents and we're told there is a videotape.
The dealer was in Russia in just the last couple of day, sources say, to finalize the deal. Then he flew to Newark, where he was arrested yesterday. Two other individuals were arrested in New York. They allegedly handled the money end of the transaction.
Authorities are hoping that the investigation is going to expand that the evidence that the individuals that they now have custody of will lead them to other arms deals, other arms dealers and perhaps other weapons as well -- Heidi. COLLINS: Jeanne, quickly break down for us a little bit about this anti-missile detection system that is being considered now for commercial airliners.
MESERVE: The -- there are anti-missile technologies that are deployed on military aircraft. They are said to be quite effective against a range of different missile technologies. There is nothing deployed on U.S. commercial jetliners at the present time, although some members of Congress are pushing very avidly for this. They say this latest news story just emphasized the need to put some sort of protective device on U.S. commercial aircraft.
However, the Department of Homeland Security isn't convinced that there is something that's cost effective. They have asked eight contractors to come up with more detailed plans for anti-missile technology that might be something close to 100 percent effective and which could be bought for some reasonable price tag.
Of course, there's got to be a cost/benefit analysis somewhere along the line here about how much the U.S. is willing to spend. That's going to take evaluating the risk from these missiles even more carefully. Some people say, Listen, the possible downside of this is that a U.S. aircraft could be brought down. If that happened, the cost to the U.S. economy could be absolutely enormous. It is worth spending the money now to protect against that -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, thanks so much. CNN's homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve. Thanks again, Jeanne.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 13, 2003 - 11:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We are awaiting word this hour from the federal courthouse in Newark, New Jersey. You see it there live. Our Deborah Feyerick is inside where a judge is considering the charges against an alleged British arms dealer. He's accused in a plot to sell a shoulder-fired missile to undercover agents. We of course will be watching that and bring any new information to you as it becomes available.
And the threat in the skies is up. First on CNN this hour, a frightening scenario could have played out had the buyers been real terrorists. The missile could have been used to shoot down a commercial flight filled with hundreds of people. Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is in Washington on this story right now. Hello to you once again, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. We are expecting to learn more about this case this morning when the three men who have been arrested appear in a Newark, New Jersey courtroom, and when some of the officials involved in this case hold a news conference.
From a variety of sources, we have gleaned a few new details about how this sting was executed. A key player, according to government sources, an independent arms dealer identified as Hekmat Lakhani, a British citizen of Indian descent. Sources close to the investigation say this is an individual who in the past has sold weapons to terrorist groups and also to rogue nations.
Authorities got wind that he was offering to sell shoulder-fired missiles U.S. agents offered to buy. The dealer said he wanted $85,000 for a missile and went to Russia to get one. Russian authorities sold him a dummy missile, which the dealer then shipped to the U.S. disguised as medical supplies. Some sources say it went to Baltimore. Others say the end destination was Newark, New Jersey. There were meetings, sources say with informants and agents and we're told there is a videotape.
The dealer was in Russia in just the last couple of day, sources say, to finalize the deal. Then he flew to Newark, where he was arrested yesterday. Two other individuals were arrested in New York. They allegedly handled the money end of the transaction.
Authorities are hoping that the investigation is going to expand that the evidence that the individuals that they now have custody of will lead them to other arms deals, other arms dealers and perhaps other weapons as well -- Heidi. COLLINS: Jeanne, quickly break down for us a little bit about this anti-missile detection system that is being considered now for commercial airliners.
MESERVE: The -- there are anti-missile technologies that are deployed on military aircraft. They are said to be quite effective against a range of different missile technologies. There is nothing deployed on U.S. commercial jetliners at the present time, although some members of Congress are pushing very avidly for this. They say this latest news story just emphasized the need to put some sort of protective device on U.S. commercial aircraft.
However, the Department of Homeland Security isn't convinced that there is something that's cost effective. They have asked eight contractors to come up with more detailed plans for anti-missile technology that might be something close to 100 percent effective and which could be bought for some reasonable price tag.
Of course, there's got to be a cost/benefit analysis somewhere along the line here about how much the U.S. is willing to spend. That's going to take evaluating the risk from these missiles even more carefully. Some people say, Listen, the possible downside of this is that a U.S. aircraft could be brought down. If that happened, the cost to the U.S. economy could be absolutely enormous. It is worth spending the money now to protect against that -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, thanks so much. CNN's homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve. Thanks again, Jeanne.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
