US says illegal weapons exports growing - are you astonished?

Question

100,000 Uzis?!

"Last week, two Utah men were arrested for allegedly trying to sell parts over the Internet for F-4 and F-14 fighter jets — which are only flown by Iran. The week before, two engineers were indicted in San Jose, Calif., on charges of stealing computer chip designs intended for the Chinese military.

...._Pittsburgh company SparesGlobal, Inc., was sentenced last week for lying about exporting equipment used in nuclear reactors and ballistic missiles in 2003 that ended up in Pakistan.

_A man in California pleaded guilty in August to trying to smuggle 100,000 Uzi submachine guns and night vision goggles to Iranian government officials.

_Two men pleaded guilty in California on the same day, Aug. 1, to exporting military-use technology to China, including, in one case, computer code to help train fighter pilots."

Full article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071012/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/terror_exports

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A few years ago a multi-billion dollar US satelite contracted to the Chinese for placement into orbit went down in the ocean on top of their rocket... Or was it still on the rocket? Why on earth was that allowed? The press said nothing more about it. No red flags were raised.

Very interesting take on it lord_van:

"This stuff happens all the time, but the Democrats are trying to bring it out as an excuse to show that they're the better national security organizers, but like with most problems they point out, they don't have a solution to it- just complaints."

Answer 1

No surprise at all, after all war is our primary method of making money. Also by selling arms we can increase the number of potential enemies we have and in so further our late blooming imperialism.

I also feel that globalism has already taken its foot holds and that the world is being slowly partitioned off.
-America: World police and strong arm
-Asia: Mass production of cheap goods
-Europe: Production of high end goods and technology
-Africa: In layaway for raw resources
-South America: Being currently raped of raw resources and Brazil has joined BRIC to also lead in producing cheap goods.

Now granted the lines are not clearly drawn as yet, but I get the feeling that it falls along these generalizations.

Answer 2

Almost every country in the world, including our two closest allies- Britain and Israel, have been caught spying on us.

The penalty for this if caught is always either life in a gated community/prison, or execution.

That shipment you mentioned about going to Pakistan probably wasn't even meant for the government. Most people don't know it, but the General/Dictator of Pakistan is our ally, and so is about 85% of his army, but many of the people there are bin-Laden sympathizers. In short, those weapons were probably meant to go to Taliban guerillas in Afghanistan or Iran.

China is obsessed with copying our technology. They got much of their modern aircraft designs from Europe and Russia, and their newest prototype is largely based off of technology from the F22.

The F4 and F14 stuff is easily the mildest of the things you mentioned- both of those aircraft have been outdated since their release off the assembly line, and are nowhere close to modern jets, such as the F16, F15, F22 or even the F18. However, your source that said that Iran is the only country that flies F4s is incorrect. Several European countries including Germany still have a few squadrons of these that are soon to be completely replaced by the newer T1 Typhoon (which was copied by the Chinese into the J10 and J11 almost immediately)

This stuff happens all the time, but the Democrats are trying to bring it out as an excuse to show that they're the better national security organizers, but like with most problems they point out, they don't have a solution to it- just complaints.

Answer 3

I'm sure it didn't start happening yesterday.

In contrast, we gotten stories every other day about the US accusing Iran of smuggling weapons into Iraq.

I wonder if there's as many weapons going from Iran to Iraq as there are from the US to Iran?

Weapons going from Iran to Iraq is supposed to implicate the Iranian government.

Does this mean the US government is secretly aiding Iran?

And if not, why don't they just stop people from sending weapons there?

Answer 4

Well you don't just pick those kinds of items up at the supermarket.

So which high-level military cronies are responsible for making those parts available? And how much did they MAKE off the deals?

The buck has to stop somewhere. Somewhere high.

Answer 5

Why should any of them be worried? They don't execute anyone for treason anymore or at least they haven't. I think it's high time that espionage and treason be punished by death again.

Some people will sell their souls- for that you get hell. If someone sells out their country they should get a free ticket there.

Answer 6

No I am not astonished. We live in a very corrupt society. Dishonesty is becoming a social norm. Look at how things are done "legally".

Answer 7

Too many people will do anything for money; look at the Rosenbergs (they sold the secrets of the atomic bomb).

Answer 8

Nothing surprises me anymore. It's sad, really.

Answer 9

I agree with Jay. String up any and all traitorous bastards...

Answer 10

it don't surprise me