Posted on 03/04/2005 12:49:51 AM PST by Samwise
INDIANAPOLIS -- A Greenfield man has been indicted on accusations he tried to sell the names of U.S. intelligence agents to Iraq before the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Authorities: Man Was In Iraq In '02
Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban, a 52-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested Thursday after an investigation of more than a year by the FBI and other agencies, U.S. Attorney Susan W. Brooks said.
Shaaban, also known as Shaaban Shaaban Hafed and Joe H. Brown, is suspected of going to Iraq in 2002 and making a deal to sell the names. He isn't accused of providing the information or receiving money for it, Brooks told RTV6's Linda Allen.
The allegations focus on events that are alleged to have occurred before the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.
"Agreeing to provide names of United States operatives to Iraq in the months immediately preceding the war are very serious charges that go to the heart of the nation's security," Brooks said in a news release.
Information on whether investigators believe he was able to provide those names wasn't immediately available.
Shaaban, according to the indictment, went to Baghdad in late 2002 and agreed to obtain -- from a third party in another country -- the names of U.S. intelligence agents working in Iraq and sell them to Saddam Hussein's intelligence service for $3 million.
The indictment alleges that Shaaban began his trip to Iraq on or about Oct. 26, 2002, flying from Chicago to Paris to Damascus, Syria. He allegedly went to Iraq from Syria.
The United States at the time prohibited its citizens, with few exceptions, from visiting Iraq.
While in Iraq in November 2002, Shaaban allegedly offered to sell to Iraqi intelligence officers the names of about 60 agents working with the United States who either were in or would be entering Iraq, according to the indictment. He named a price of $5 million and said he would get the names from a third party, the indictment alleges.
Details on how Shaaban allegedly planned to get the names from the third party weren't immediately available.
The indictment alleges that the Iraqi officers agreed to a fee of $3 million and required that Shaaban provide a sample of the information before payment.
The indictment also alleges that Shaaban:
Sought Iraqi support to establish a TV station in the United States that would broadcast pro-Iraqi news
Sought an arrangement in which he would be paid a fee by Iraq to organize volunteers to act as human shields to protect Iraqi infrastructure during the 2003 war
Broadcast messages of support for the Iraqi government on Iraqi media stations, advocating support for Iraq and encouraging others to resist the United States
The government has charged Shaaban with conspiracy; acting as a foreign agent without notification; violations of Iraqi sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; unlawful procurement of an identification document; and unlawful procurement of naturalization.
Shabaan, who worked in Indiana as a truck driver, was being held Thursday in the Marion County Jail, Allen reported.
Brooks said Shaaban is believed to have more than 12 aliases. Investigators believe he is from Jordan, but he also has documentation of Lebanese descent, Brooks said.
A pretrial court date has been set for next week. A trial has been scheduled to begin April 25.
Gee, and his name wasn't Bill Johnson. I'm shocked I tell ya......
Damn, that's one ugly dude. Glad they caught the POS.
That's one ugly sumbitch. Blech!!
(Joe also produces television programming on the side.)
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Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban, a 52-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested Thursday after an investigation of more than a year by the FBI and other agencies, U.S. Attorney Susan W. Brooks said.
Shaaban, also known as Shaaban Shaaban Hafed and Joe H. Brown, is suspected of going to Iraq in 2002 and making a deal to sell the names.
Brooks said Shaaban is believed to have more than 12 aliases.
He looks like his original gene pool might have come from Tikrit with the same DNA lines of the $oddomite family. His hair, facial mole and even the cleft in his chin scream, "I'm a member of the $oddomite Family!"
Thanks for the ping!
Prosecute and hang.
He had a license to haul hazardous materials.
Indiana Man Charged With Trying To Sell Secrets To IraqString him up when we do Saddam!
Registered Pic: Saddam's Day in Court
The Rosenberg Doctrine should be applied ASAP on all of these traitors. Convict then execute! What scares me, is this perp is just one of how many? There are probably thousands more like him running around this country. To he!! with CAIR and the other muslim groups crying discrimination! Everyone of these traitors has been muslim! Get a clue, CAIR!
Yeah, but one of his aliases was Joe H. Brown! Doesn't that count?
4 Hour News 8 is learning more about the Greenfield man who federal authorities say was conspiring with Saddam Hussein's government against the United States.
The federal indictment against Shaaban Hafed says he went by 13 aliases. Authorities say he used fake names to get Social Security numbers, an Indiana drivers license and a US citizenship.
"He sought to enter into a cooperation agreement where he would be paid a fee by Iraq to organize volunteers to act as human shields to protect Iraqi infrastructure during the war and finally he broadcast messages of support for the Iraqi government on Iraqi media stations that advocated support for Iraq and encouraged others to forcibly resist the United States, all of this after becoming a naturalized citizen here in the United States, said Susan Brooks, US attorney.
Federal authorities say there's plenty of evidence against the 52-year-old truck driver. "We have charged Mr. Shaaban with violations of the foreign agent notification act as well as the national emergency economic powers act, said Brooks.
Shabaan is being held without bond because prosecutors say he poses a serious flight risk.
In the federal indictment against him, it says that from spring 2002 to summer 2004, Shaaban communicated with the Iraqi intelligence service, which paid his travel expenses. Authorities say he often traveled from Chicago to Paris to Damascus, Syria and on to Baghdad. They also say he was trying to sell the names of 60 US intelligence agents to Iraqi intelligence and went by 13 aliases, some of which he allegedly used to get Social Security numbers an Indiana commercial drivers license and to become a US citizen. They also say he was trained by Russian intelligence when he lived in Russia.
Terrorism preparedness coordinator Peter Beering hopes the case will get people thinking more about security. "Law enforcement officials have known for a long, long time that criminals and various criminal enterprises cross through Indiana, so it's not particularly surprising, but the allegations are troubling, said Beering.
William Dazey, the federal defender representing Shaaban wouldn't talk on camera, but says it's in his client's best interest that he limit his public comment.
Shaaban will make his first appearance in federal court next week.
Nothing to see here folks - your borders are in good hands.
Actually his physical appearance would have lent very nicely for blending in with groups of tourists casually walking across the border from Mexico.
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