Joseb Kharabadze, 52, Upper West Side of Manhattan. Native former Soviet Republic of Georgia.
Posted on 03/16/2005 10:48:10 AM PST by Liz
Joseb Kharabadze, 52, Upper West Side of Manhattan. Native former Soviet Republic of Georgia.
The feds charged a band of NY arms merchants yesterday in a chilling million-dollar plot to smuggle thousands of Russian weapons into the United States — including shoulder-fired missiles capable of shooting down airliners.
The 17 arrests followed a two-year-long sting in which a patriotic FBI informant who is a South African munitions expert posed as an arms buyer with ties to al Qaeda.
"Are you interested in buying weapons?" the arms sellers asked, claiming they had ties to the Russian mob and rogue members of the Russian military.
"Yes," the informant replied.
"Are your friends dark-skinned?" the men asked, referring to radical Muslims.
"Yes," the informant replied again.
The sellers offered to supply 2,000 (weapons) for at least $2 million.
A law-enforcement official described the informant as a "pure hero" who only wanted to do the right thing for his adoptive country.
"He risked his life every day," the official said.
As the months passed, the men sold eight machine guns and assault weapons to the informant.
They also schemed to smuggle Russian weapons into the country, including rocket-propelled grenade launchers and Strela SA-7b surface-to-air shoulder-launched missiles.
According to Jane's, the respected defense authority, the missiles were used in the Vietnam and Arab-Israeli wars, resulting in the downing of dozens of aircraft.
Their simplicity "has also resulted in the widespread distribution of the weapon to various guerrilla and terrorist groups throughout the world," Jane's said.
The ringleaders, Artur Solomonyan, 26, an Armenian who lives in Brooklyn, and Christiaan Dewet Spies, 33, a South African, were busted in a Battery Park City hotel as they prepared to leave for Eastern Europe to carry out the shipment of the arms, authorities said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
SA-7 GRAIL
9K32M Strela-2
HN-5 (Hongying 5) China
Anza MKI - Pakistan
Ayn as Saqr - Egypt
The SA-7 GRAIL (Strela-2) man-portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude SAM system is similar to the US Army REDEYE, with a high explsive warhead and passive infrared homing guidance. The HN-5 ( Hong Nu = Red Cherry ) is an improved Chinese version with upgraded capabilities. The SA-7 was the first generation of Soviet man portable surface-to-air missiles. Although classed as "fire and forget" types, the missiles were easily overcome by solar heat and, when used in hilly terrain, by heat from the ground.
The SA-7 seeker is fitted with a filter to reduce the effectiveness of decoying flares and to block IR emissions. The system consists of the missile (9K32 & 9K32M), a reloadable gripstock (9P54 & 9P54M), and a thermal battery (9B17). An identification friend or foe (IFF) system can be fitted to the operators helmet. Further, a supplementary early warning system consisting of a passive RF antenna and headphones can be used to provide early cue about the approach and rough direction of an enemy aircraft. Although the SA-7 is limited in range, speed, and altitude, it forces enemy pilots to fly above minimum radar limitations which results in detection and vulnerability to regimental and divisional air defense systems.
The SA-7a (9K32 Strela-2) was introduced for service in 1968, but was soon replaced by the SA-7b (9K32M Strela-2M) which became the most common production model. The SA-7b, differs from the SA-7a primarily by using a boosted propellant charge to increase range and speed. The SA-7a had a slant range of 3.6 km and a kill zone between 15 and 1500 meters in altitude, with a speed of about 430 meters per second (Mach 1.4). The SA-7b has a slant range of about 4.2 km, a ceiling of about 2300 meters, and a speed of about 500 meters per second (Mach 1.75). Both the SA-7a and SA-7b are tail-chase missile systems, and its effectiveness depends on its ability to lock onto the heat source of low-flying fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft targets.
The Anza anti-aircraft missiles give Pakistan a response to India's superiority in modern aircraft -- India has a numerical superiority in modern fighter aircraft of more than 3 to 1 over Pakistan. The Anza MK-1, Anza MK-2, and Anza MK-3 surface to air anti-aircraft missiles have ranges of 4, 6 and 15 km, respectively. The missiles are manufactured by the laboratory named after Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear program.
The Anza MKI missiles, which have a range of 4.2 km, were manufactured and handed over to the military forces in 1990. It has been reported that the missile was used during the Kargil incidents between Pakistan and India. Pakistan downed two of India's military planes, a MIG-21 and a MIG-27, with the Anza MKI missiles for violating its airspace on 26 May 1999.
Egyptian technicians have reverse engineered and modified two Soviet SAMs -- the Ayn as Saqr (a version of the SA-7) and the Tayir as Sabah (a version of the SA-2). The Ayn as Saqr [Falcon Eye] anti-Aircraft missile system is designed to counter air-ground attack by all types of aircraft flying at low and very low altitudes due to its simplicity of operation, accuracy, light weight, mobility & versatility (either by one man or to be integrated into other overall A/D systems). Also it can be mounted on any combat vehicle, light or armored. Moreover the basic equipment can be fitted with IFF & night vision units.
Specifications
Date of Introduction 1972
Proliferation Worldwide
Crew 1
Launcher Name 9P54M
Length (m) 1.47
Diameter (mm) 70
Weight (kg) 4.71
Reaction Time 5-10 seconds (acquisition to fire)
Time Between Launches (sec) INA
Reload Time (sec) 6-10
Missile Name 9M32M
Max. Range 5,500 meters
Min. Range 500 meters
Max. Altitude 4,500 meters
Min. Altitude 18 meters
Length (m) 1.40
Diameter (mm) 70
Weight (kg) 9.97
Missile Speed (m/s) 580
Propulsion Solid fuel booster and solid fuel sustainer rocket motor.
Guidance Passive IR homing device (operating in the medium IR range)
Seeker Field of View 1.9°
Tracking Rate 6°/sec
Warhead Type HE
Warhead Weight (kg) 1.15
Fuze Type Contact (flush or grazing)
Self-Destruct (sec) 15
FIRE CONTROL Launcher has sighting device and a target acquisitionindicator.
The gunner visually identifies and acquires the target.
Gunner Field of View INA
Acquisition Range (m) INA
VARIANTS SA-N-5 Naval version
HN-5A Chinese version
Strela 2M/A Yugoslavian upgrade
Sakr Eye Egyptian upgrade
Mounted in several types of vehicles in four, six, and eight-tube launcher varieties.
Can be mounted on several helicopters (Mi-24, S-342 Gazelle)
yeah..i agree, check out the whole story, its not so comforting if you ask me. they caught the guys, but these weapons were never recovered in the arrest. what sense does that make?!?!? all this means is the next guy in the food chain still has the chance to sell the same weapons. also says about the guy talking about enriched uranium for dirty bombs. but says that they never brought it up again. why wouldn't the informant try and get his hands on that!?!?!? weird story, sounds like good propaganda for a lousy job done.
That makes sense. I can hear it now, "I am interested in some assault shoes and shoulder-fired dental supplies. Got 'em?"
"Why would the FBI go into this much detail?"
It's PR to convince you that they're doing a good job.
"weird story, sounds like good propaganda for a lousy job done."
That's what I thought too.
Also, I doubt this south african informat was a US citizen or a permanent resident. Remember that many of the smugglers were blacks, so the authorities needed a black to infiltrate them.
My question is: How did the US get this black south african into the USA, and what did they promise? Stupid, stupid tradeoff!
"The 17 arrests followed a two-year-long sting in which a patriotic FBI informant who is a South African munitions expert posed as an arms buyer with ties to al Qaeda."
I wish I could meet this man who worked with the FBI and personally thank him. He is definitely a hero in my opinion.
Hang in there. Maybe 60 Minutes will have him on.
The perps were probably collared by the local authorities and the First Bunch Of Idiots step in for the glory. I have seen this happen repeatedly and most of these Ivy League Cops have the investigative skills of howdy doody. They must need the press for the feel good attitude. P.C. has really hurt the Fibs, too bad Hoover is not around to straighten them out. I hope the perps get put under, not in the federal corrections system. Why not take away their prayer mats and feed them pork. It's an American Patriot thing, muzlimbs will never understand. NSNR (not a rant-just the facts)
They are just trying to do the missle attacks that "Americans don't want to do"
You wrote, "Secret Service reveals that Chelsea Clinton's codename was Turquoise."
I thought her codename was plaster(ed).
http://www.zpub.com/un/0,,2002241014,00.gif
jriemer
No, Hillary has a dark heart.
Has anyone considered why the Fibbies didn't actually let these mobsters actually bring in the arms so we could seize them? I mean, the missiles are probably still just waiting there in Russia or whereever they are now! Some OTHER group of nutjobs might buy them!
I would summize it is like a gun lying in the street. The municipals would pick it up, run it throu NCIC for a hit check/owner. The feds would choose to leave it there, to see who picks it up and do a follow-up one year later. Ivy League, wanna be cops. NSNR
Yeah right feds big deal. Let them pour into our country by the millions but then do the perp walk with a guppie.
I thought her code name was."Fugly." NSNR
Absolutely the correct scenario, if the truth be known. NSNR
The Moscow Times downplayed these guys as "amateurs." I'll see if I can find the article online.
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