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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Belgian pleads guilty in US jet parts sale to Iran |
| 2009-11-25 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] A Belgian man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of conspiring to illegally export F-5 fighter jet engines and parts from the United States to Iran, the Justice Department said. Jacques Monsieur pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Mobile, Alabama. He was arrested in August and charged in a six-count indictment with conspiracy, money laundering, smuggling and violating the Arms Export Control Act and an embargo on trade with Iran. "Monsieur, along with his co-conspirator (Dara) Fotouhi, are experienced arms dealers who have been actively working with the Iranian government to procure military items for the Iranian government," the Justice Department said in a statement. Monsieur faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. In February, Monsieur contacted an undercover agent seeking engines for the F-5 fighter jet and the C-130 military transport aircraft for export to Iran, the statement said. Under the plan, the parts would be sent to Iran via Colombia and the United Arab Emirates. The engines and parts are for aircraft the United States sold to Iran before the 1979 revolution, the Justice Department said. The engines and parts cannot be exported to Iran without licenses from the State and Treasury departments. "The guilty plea ... reflects the government's commitment to ensuring that critical technologies and military-grade weapons not fall into the wrong hands," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary John Morton. Washington and Iran have been at loggerheads in recent years over Tehran's nuclear program, which it says is for civil energy purposes but Western powers fear is a cover for a secret program to develop nuclear weapons. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 I feel just awful. I looked at that name, read it as Jacques, Monsieur, and in my head it became Mr. Jack. Mr. Jack, the arms dealer, scourge of the seven puddles and the cow pond. Really, I am ashamed of myself. |
| Posted by: trailing wife in Buffalo 2009-11-25 23:32 |
| #2 Got to be a fake name. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-11-25 22:15 |
| #1 Monsieur faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. Huh? Get a rope. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2009-11-25 11:38 |