News Leak Blows Big Opportunity (bust of arms dealer was supposed to be kept secret)

Newsweek / MSNBC ^ | 8/13/03 | Michael "Spikey" Isikoff & Mark Hosenball

[Steven W.]

While publicly congratulating themselves over the bust of an international arms dealer in an alleged plot to sell Russian-made surface-to-air missiles, top Justice Department officials are privately fuming over a premature news leak that may have blown a rare opportunity to penetrate Al Qaeda’s arms-buying network, NEWSWEEK has learned.

THE FBI’S ARREST of London-based arms dealer Hemant Lakhani, 68, at a hotel room near Newark Liberty International Airport this week was supposed to be only an interim step in what officials hoped would be a far more meaningful long-term operation, law-enforcement sources said. The bureau’s plan was to quickly flip Lakhani, a British citizen of Indian extraction, and then use him as an undercover informant who could lead agents to real-life Osama bin Laden operatives seeking sophisticated weapons.

But those plans went awry late Tuesday afternoon when the Feds learned that the BBC was about to broadcast a sensational report on Lakhani’s arrest by one of its star correspondents, Tom Mangold. The BBC story, based on an apparent leak from a law-enforcement source, had some key details wrong. For one thing, it falsely claimed that the arms dealer’s attempted sale of a shoulder-fired SA-18 missile and launder was part of a plot by terrorists to shoot down Air Force One—a target that never actually came up in the discussions.

But even so, U.S. law-enforcement sources tell NEWSWEEK, the damage was done. The FBI had to abort its plan to recruit Lakhani as an informant and instead charged him today in federal court in Newark, N.J., with weapons smuggling and with providing material support to terrorists. Also arrested in the case were two alleged confederates—a New York City jeweler and a Malaysian businessman—who were charged with conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transfer business.

[Steven W.]

So if they don't have any sources from which to make up screwball stories on Iraqi WMD the BBC is most willing to screw up AlQaeda terrorist planning.

[Old Sarge]

Old Sarge will not be posting to this thread.

He is currently self-medicating for stress, in the form of bashing his head against his console after reading about this latest Leftist betrayal.

Sarge will return to duty, as soon as the Motrin takes effect and the work order for a new console is completed.

Thank you.

[Iscool]

Reportin' the news is what these guys do...Whether it's news or not...They need to quit putting muslims in charge of the investigation...

[b4its2late]

The FBI had to abort its plan to recruit Lakhani as an informant and instead charged him today in federal court in Newark, N.J.,

Torture him until he spills the beans.....

[GOP_1900AD]

Did the SVR leak this to the BBC? What with Gilligan a potential traitor I would believe it. How many working for the BBC also work for the SVR?

[SunStar]

The BBC are deliberately sabotaging U.S. national security!

[Uncle Miltie]

"The BBC are deliberately sabotaging U.S. national security!"

Reiteration Bump.

[Moose4]

Guess the Beeb sexed that story up, eh?

}:-)4

[DPB101]

Sounds like a traitor in the Russian FSB leaked it to the BBC. There are arms dealers in Russia and the Ukraine selling to terrorists. Perhaps they didn't like the FSB pretending to be them.

[KarlInOhio]

With Iraq now out of the axis of evil, I was trying to figure out whether to replace them with Syria or Saudi Arabia. It looks like the BBC as passed them both and jumped into the empty slot.

[Ann Archy]

Someone in OUR Law Enforcement gave the BBC this info. Shooting is too good for these people.

[Peach]

The presstitutes - only too willing to see Americans killed in order to be first to report a story. In fact, if they managed to mess up an ongoing investigation and it hurts the Bush administration in the process, so much the better, in their little minds.

[marvlus]

Perhaps this is disinformation to keep Al Queda guessing and paranoid.

[OldFriend]

The LEAKER sabotaged America's security.

[snopercod]

The BBC are deliberately sabotaging U.S. national security!

They've never gotten over the fact that we colonialists kicked their sorry butts off our continent.