Free Republic

Mar 21, 2008 WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States slapped sanctions on British and Armenian firms Friday for unauthorized re-exports of aircraft to Iran, officials said. The US Commerce Department suspended export privileges of British-based Balli Group PLC and related companies, Armenian-based Blue Airways, and Iran-based Mahan Airways for 180 days. A statement said US officials learned that the companies "knowingly re-exported three US origin aircraft to Iran in violation of the Export Administration Regulations and are preparing to re-export three additional US origin aircraft to Iran in further violation of the (rules)." In addition, the agency said "false statements...

Mitutoyo falsifies Iranian recipient's name to get export permission (Kyodo) _ Precision measuring device maker Mitutoyo Corp. falsified the name of the Iranian corporate recipient of a high-tech measuring machine in 1997 in filing an application document for an export permit from the Japanese government, investigative sources said Saturday. Mitutoyo entered a fictitious corporate name in the application document's section for the machine's importer instead of Pars Switch Co., the real recipient, in seeking the permit from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the predecessor of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the sources said. The manufacturer exported...

A Pakistani, convicted of exporting missile parts to Iran almost 20 years ago, is being accused in a San Diego court of conspiring to smuggle jet engine components from the United States to Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Belgium (and IRAN). Arif Ali Durrani, 55, was initially accused of illegally exporting through his defunct California-based company called Lonestar Aerospace, 110 compressor blades for the General Electric J-85 military aircraft engine to Jordan. Those charges were dropped on Sept 23 after the US Attorney?s Office determined that the Jordan government had a license to receive the goods. The same day,...