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Missile Smuggling Suspect Intended to Harm Americans
Aired August 13, 2003 - 15:30 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: United States officials are praising the help of Russia in foiling a plot to smuggle shoulder-fired missiles into America. Three alleged suspects now are being held as a result of an international sting. Justice correspondent Kelli Arena is standing by in Washington to tell us the latest -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, U.S. officials say that British citizen Hemant Lakhani is a significant international arms dealer who wanted the missiles that he was selling to be used to do harm against Americans. In this case, the government alleges that he wanted a missile to be used to bring down a commercial airline.
And in taped conversations, court papers reveal, that Lakhani made hateful remarks about Americans saying, "Osama bin Laden straightened them all out and that did a good thing, " this referring to the September 11 attacks.
Lakhani is charged with attempting to provide materials, support and resources to terrorists and acting as an arms broker without a license. Now he wanted to provide his new customers an arsenal of weapons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIE, NEW JERSEY U.S. ATTORNEY: Mr. Lakhani told the cooperating witness with our law enforcement officers that we would have to order another 50 of these missiles make the deal worthwhile and yesterday was supposed to be the day that not only this missile was delivered, but that an initial down payment of approximately $500,000 was to be made on the next 50 missiles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: Now the so-called Muslim extremist who wanted the missiles was actually an FBI informant and the shoulder-launched missile that was brought from Russia to the United States aboard a ship was actually a dud. So U.S. citizens were never actually in any danger.
Now, two other defendants in the case have been charged with money laundering for their alleged roles in handling payments made by the FBI informant for the weapons. Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: At least three suspects Kelli. Have they been known or tied to any other terrorist groups? ARENA: Not so far. Investigators say that these three are not part of any terror organization, but they say that the tape recordings and the investigation makes it very clear that these individuals knew that the informant had said that he wanted to do harm against U.S. citizens, that what he wanted to use those missiles for and that they were to be used against the United States.
So they said that the motive was terrorism, but any actual connection to a terrorist group has not been determined at this point.
PHILLIPS: All right, Kelli Arena, thank you.
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 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: United States officials are praising the help of Russia in foiling a plot to smuggle shoulder-fired missiles into America. Three alleged suspects now are being held as a result of an international sting. Justice correspondent Kelli Arena is standing by in Washington to tell us the latest -- Kelli.
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, U.S. officials say that British citizen Hemant Lakhani is a significant international arms dealer who wanted the missiles that he was selling to be used to do harm against Americans. In this case, the government alleges that he wanted a missile to be used to bring down a commercial airline.
And in taped conversations, court papers reveal, that Lakhani made hateful remarks about Americans saying, "Osama bin Laden straightened them all out and that did a good thing, " this referring to the September 11 attacks.
Lakhani is charged with attempting to provide materials, support and resources to terrorists and acting as an arms broker without a license. Now he wanted to provide his new customers an arsenal of weapons.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIE, NEW JERSEY U.S. ATTORNEY: Mr. Lakhani told the cooperating witness with our law enforcement officers that we would have to order another 50 of these missiles make the deal worthwhile and yesterday was supposed to be the day that not only this missile was delivered, but that an initial down payment of approximately $500,000 was to be made on the next 50 missiles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ARENA: Now the so-called Muslim extremist who wanted the missiles was actually an FBI informant and the shoulder-launched missile that was brought from Russia to the United States aboard a ship was actually a dud. So U.S. citizens were never actually in any danger.
Now, two other defendants in the case have been charged with money laundering for their alleged roles in handling payments made by the FBI informant for the weapons. Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: At least three suspects Kelli. Have they been known or tied to any other terrorist groups? ARENA: Not so far. Investigators say that these three are not part of any terror organization, but they say that the tape recordings and the investigation makes it very clear that these individuals knew that the informant had said that he wanted to do harm against U.S. citizens, that what he wanted to use those missiles for and that they were to be used against the United States.
So they said that the motive was terrorism, but any actual connection to a terrorist group has not been determined at this point.
PHILLIPS: All right, Kelli Arena, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
