Indictment: 2 tried to send US materials to Iran for nuclear program

A potential showdown is looming over Iran's nuclear program after word that Tehran's new bargaining position could split Israel and the United States. The Washington Post's David Ignatius reports.

WASHINGTON -- A federal grand jury has indicted two men, one from Iran and the other from China, on charges of conspiring to send materials from the United States to Iran for the purpose of enriching uranium, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday.

Using a Chinese company as a go-between to avoid trade sanctions, the men tried for three years to obtain U.S. materials, such as high-strength steel, that could be used in an Iranian nuclear program, the department said.


Iranian citizen Parviz Khaki was arrested in May in the Philippines, while the other man, Zongcheng Yi of China, remains at large, the department said.

The two men succeeded in illegally exporting lathes and nickel-alloy wire from the United States to China and then to Iran around June 2009, according to the indictment filed by the Justice Department.

It said the men purchased the materials from U.S. companies without divulging the ultimate destination. They also did not have export licenses required for shipments to countries such as Iran that are under U.S. sanctions.

Other attempts to obtain materials failed, the indictment says.

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Khaki allegedly began talking with an undercover U.S. federal agent in 2009, including in e-mails in which he tried to acquire radioactive source material. The e-mails continued into 2011, the indictment says.

Lisa Monaco, assistant attorney general for national security, said the indictment "sheds light on the reach of Iran's illegal procurement networks and the importance of keeping U.S. nuclear-related materials from being exploited by Iran."

The United States and Israel- jointly attacking Iran's nuclear program- not with bombs but with computer viruses. It is a new kind of secret warfare uncovered in a new book. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

"Iranian procurement networks continue to target U.S. and Western companies for technology acquisition by using fraud, front companies and middlemen in nations around the globe," Monaco said in a statement.

The 24-page indictment was handed up by a grand jury in Washington on Thursday and released on Friday. It does not name the U.S. companies that Khaki and Yi allegedly approached.

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Discuss this post

Hang them both.

  • 8 votes
Reply#1 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:23 PM EDT

agreed

  • 3 votes
#1.1 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:03 PM EDT

New news report....FLASH, All iranians need to leave this country now.

  • 2 votes
#1.2 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:37 AM EDT

I agree! We convict scum like these and jail them for years. They should be executed. The Chinese would.

The Chinese hate our guts and they will do everything they can to undermine us. We just pat the little yellow bastards on the head, smile and tell them that they have been great trading partners because Corporate American Companies run our foreign policies out of their board rooms.

Truman was a fool when he denied MacArthur in Korea. We should have Nuked 'em then. Now, they are a growing 'Cancer' on the planet. Poor judgment by Truman set us on the path we are on today.

  • 2 votes
#1.3 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:40 AM EDT

I agree, hang'em on the courtsquare!!!!

  • 3 votes
#1.4 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:29 PM EDT

Feed them Uranium and let them die slowly.

  • 2 votes
#1.6 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:55 PM EDT
Reply

"Let He who has not sinned, cast the first stone." Then the rest can join in.

  • 5 votes
Reply#2 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:12 PM EDT

F---off Snaque man the first stone to your dumb ass

  • 4 votes
#2.1 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:15 PM EDT

snaque-397...; stones do not cause much damage, however nuclear bombs are another problem.

  • 1 vote
#2.2 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:30 PM EDT

Sin is not the issue, nuclear weapons are.

  • 2 votes
#2.3 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:25 PM EDT
Reply

israel wants Irans nuclear program stopped...yet it wont let the IAEA in to see theres. people fail to see israel as a threat, because our news is controlled by jews. I dont want iran or anyone to have nuclear weapons....but look at the last 40 years...who have used nukes...who have killed with nukes....not iran! The USA has used nukes over 1000 times....and we have false wars! This is more propaganda bullsh*t! The CIA probably gave them to these guys so they can arrest them!

  • 4 votes
Reply#3 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:32 PM EDT

Obviously you are not Irish - therefore if you don't like it then go back to your backward country...

  • 3 votes
#3.1 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:02 PM EDT

Mqira a 1000 times-- maybe thats how many time you had your head up your ass

  • 6 votes
#3.2 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:17 PM EDT

The US used nuclear weapons exactly twice: to end a war, not to start one. It was also a time when the effects of nuclear weapons weren't well known. Of course Israel wants to prevent Iran from having any nuclear weapons; the ayatollahs are just crazy enough to use them while Israel has never yet even threatened to use them unless attacked.

  • 2 votes
#3.3 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:01 AM EDT

The Israelis are far crazier and more of a threat to the world than Iran will ever be. The Israelis killed JFK in order to get their nukes, which are estimated to number 200. The Israeli named Vanunu has said that Israel had JFK killed. He was also the one that outed Israel's nuclear weapons program. Here is a quote from Martin van Creveld, Israel’s preeminent military historian and theorist, who said in an interview that Israel could do some damage to the Iranian program but could not knock it out.

Martin van Creveld, who in 2010 said that “Israel
could find itself one day forced to exterminate the European continent using all
kinds of weapons including its nuclear arsenal if it felt its demise neared,”
and stressed that “Israel also considers Europe a hostile target.”

“We have hundreds of nuclear warheads and
missiles that can reach different targets in the heart of the European
continent, including beyond the borders of Rome, the Italian capital,” Creveld
said, adding that most of the European capitals would become preferred targets
for the Israeli air force.

He reiterated “Israel’s ability to destroy the
whole world whenever it felt its existence would be doomed to extinction.”

That my friends is how the Israelis think. No one in Iran has ever uttered words as idiotic as this Israeli. Remember, this man is prominent in Israel, not some wingnut. His words reflect the thinking of Israel's leadership.

Okie Joe - Using nuclear weapons 2 times is 2 times too much. Look at what we did to Laos. We dropped millions of tons of bombs on a country, more than a ton for each man, woman and child, many of which are still killing people. That is a war crime. What we did to Iraq amounts to war crimes. Iraq was nnot a threat to any nation, yet we bombed them with our display of "shock and awe". We did it because the Zionists in our government wanted to replace Saddam Hussein and install a leader that would be friendly to Israel. That leader would allow an oil pipeline to be built from Iraq to the Port of Haifa in Israel, which would give Israel control of oil to all of Europe.

Once the Pentagon's choice to lead the "new" Iraq, Chalabi
promised to reopen an old British-built pipeline from Kirkuk in northern Iraq
to the Israeli port of Haifa. The plan impressed Richard Perle, Douglas Feith
and other conservatives influencing Bush administration policy toward Iraq in
the lead-up to last year's war.

The idea also drew enthusiastic response from Israel.

"The pipeline would be a dream," Yosef Paritzky, Israel's minister
of infrastructures, said as reported by Salon.com. "We'd have an
additional source of supply, and could even export some of the crude through
Haifa. But we'd need a treaty with Iraq . . . to build the pipeline."

Once Chalabi assumed a position of influence in the new Iraqi government,
Israel would get its treaty, the neoconservatives were assured.

.

  • 5 votes
#3.4 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:52 AM EDT

Ralph taken you medicine this morning or reading to much of Hilters BS?

  • 2 votes
#3.6 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:27 PM EDT

Ralf is right,only time will tell.

  • 1 vote
#3.7 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:42 PM EDT

Ralph H is also known for his repeated statements here that "The Jews killed Jesus," which has been the basis of anti-semitism since the Dark Ages. To call him "a bigot against Jews" is a screaming understatement.

    #3.8 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:33 PM EDT
    Reply

    So these supposedly American companies are just thinking about only money and selling these materials to possible enemies of the US... there should be an investigation as to why they did so and fine them because they did so...

    Guess this is no different than gun dealers and shops selling automatic weapons by the dozens to Mexican cartels - money first... no one comes in a gun shop to buy just one automatic weapon unless they are of a criminal enterprise...

    • 2 votes
    Reply#4 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:00 PM EDT

    It's n excellent idea to sell weapons to the Cartels they can police themselves and kill each other off—neither government has the moxie to dissolve these so called cartels

      Reply#5 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:22 PM EDT

      Only problem is the cartels bring their the blood lust in to the US called gangs.

        #5.1 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:29 PM EDT
        Reply

        Be done with it. Life for both of these men without parole. Then use a low yield nuke-the type which kills the person but leaves the building intact.

          Reply#6 - Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:54 PM EDT

          This world is in the eve of destruction, it's all about money , ME ME ME , regardless who gets hurt, patriotism is something of the past, those guys should be shot and show it live on tv, zoom in on the faces, as life leaves them. I know it sounds cruel, but as more die the same way, they will think twice before doing something like that.

          Plain and simple

            Reply#7 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:25 AM EDT

            hooooooray! now i get to pay taxes to house these loonies for life in prison. i love working hard for other people!

              Reply#8 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:05 AM EDT

              The US needs to stop allowing any and all export of high tech materials to ANY foreign country and use them here to build up our defensive military network! Anyone who attempts to ship stuff like that out of this country, regardless fo its supposed destination should be imprisoned and tried either as spies or traitors! Whatever happened to our fortitude for prosecuting people who would overthrow our government?

              • 2 votes
              Reply#9 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:19 AM EDT

              Two caught out of how many?

              • 2 votes
              Reply#10 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:29 AM EDT

              this is the same routine that Israel used to build THEIR BOMBS! question why is IRAN our enemy? has it threatened to invade or attack the U.S. HOMELAND? it has only responed to actions taken by the U.S.GOVT.! if they gave up their NUKE program would they then be given friendly nation status? would the U.S. then demand that Israel give up its NUKES? or lose all foreign aid and military contracts! i think not! there will be another pnony reason given to us to send our soldiers too WAR!

              • 1 vote
              Reply#11 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:23 AM EDT

              Believe it or not, Ronald, when President Roosevelt sent Lend Lease weapons to England, he did not see any reason to ship them to Germany as well. He saw the difference between allies and enemies, and I hope our own government does, too.

                #11.1 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:35 PM EDT
                Reply

                Ronald.. Iran and its allies hamas and hezbollah have committed terrorist attacks on 6 continents. Yes ,Ausrtalia too.I personally saw the results of 2 major bombings in Bs Ar where 2 big buildings were blown to smithereens.SeverlL Iranians includig f the minister of De fense are under indictmnt by Argentina with Interpol immmediate arrest and detain orders.The minster of Iranian defense had to be hustler out of Bolivia when the police were closing in.Argentina is no great friend of the U.S.. more the contrary. but the death of so many citizens at the hands ofIiran forced them to act.Each year the Arg president makes a speech at the U.N demanding that Iran turn over the terrorists who killed so many people in Buenas Aires.That among many other reasons is why Iran is a menace to the whole world.The attck in Buenas Aires is just one of MANY atrocities committed by Iran all over the world. Does that answer your question?

                • 2 votes
                Reply#12 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:21 AM EDT

                MAJOR MAJOR jail time.

                  Reply#13 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:08 PM EDT

                  I am a Nuclear Reactor Operator Electronics Technician in the United States Navy, and we are still at warning level Orange which means any discussion of Nuclear related material outside of Military Base is considered confidential and people ARE still trying to send diagrams, schematics, and other important facts overseas. People just don't know that since 2001, anyone caught doing this results in the death penalty in time of war.

                    Reply#14 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 2:48 PM EDT

                    Obama closed 9 Border stations this week. Middle Eastern
                    terrorists said that this will make it alot more easier for them to come in and
                    hurt Americans. Don't believe me? Watch this newsclip which one terrorist says
                    he plans on bringing enough Anthrax over the Mexican border that can kill
                    300,000 Americans in an hour. Please pass this along so others are aware. There
                    has been little press about it. http://www.westernjournalism.com/proof-that-terrorists-are-entering-u-s-from-mexican-border/

                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#15 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:06 PM EDT

                    It is nice that some people are caught in the act, but sometimes also we U. S. citizens don't need to know too much information. Sometimes reporters report too much and it puts Security a risk. Reporters on National Security issues need to report the main idea and not go into details.

                    I think that this has been brought up in Congress and in the Senate within the last month.

                      Reply#16 - Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:27 PM EDT

                      Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.

                        Reply#17 - Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:31 AM EDT
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