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| Chinese man admits attempt to smuggle SAMs into US |
| 2006-04-20 |
| A Chinese national living in Southern California admitted on Wednesday trying to arrange the sale from China to the United States of 200 shoulder-fired missiles that can be used to bring down airplanes. Chao Tung Wu, 51, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to conspiring to import the missiles for a buyer who turned out to be an undercover FBI agent. When Wu was indicted in November along with another man, Yi Qing Chen, they became the first people charged under a 2004 U.S. law forbidding the import of aircraft-destroying missile systems into the United States, officials said. Wu, who also admitted to trafficking methamphetamine, counterfeit bills, cigarettes and Ecstasy tablets into the United States, made a plea bargain with U.S. prosecutors in hopes of reducing a possible 25-year prison term. The indictment identifies the missiles as the QW-2 shoulder-fired type used by the Chinese military since the late 1990s. According to court papers, the undercover FBI agent was told the missiles would be shipped from China to Cambodia and then to the United States with the help of bribed officials. However, the third-party country was later switched to Paraguay. The missiles were never delivered. Wu is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31. Chen is awaiting trial. |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #18 "FUTURE SECURITY ARRANGEMENT" - 1/2 of CONUS is already slated as future Chinese territory, plus 200Milyuhn out of 300 Milyuhn Clintonian Fascist = Socialist Americans must be removed from existence. Its a given that East and South Asia and Oceania are histoire' - we grotesquely defective general Socialists known as Clintonian Fascist Amerikans and our VRWC should be happy becuz our Amer holocaust is paving the way for the happiness that is Motherly Perfectionist Communist Global Utopia. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-04-20 23:28 |
| #17 Chinese military "agents" and missile smugglers Chao Tung Wu and Yi Qing Chen Yi's Lawyer) When Was Wu Wrapped Up? Wu's Lawyer) Before Yi Yapped. Yi's Lawyer) No When Was Wu Wrapped Up? Wu's Lawyer) Before Yi Yapped! Yi's Lawyer) Whats Wrong With You Man, I said When Was Wu Wrapped Up!! Wu's Lawyer) I'm Not a Man, I'm Wu's Lawyer. [screw it ima gonna uses CAPS FROM NOW ON] |
| Posted by: Wu Chang Warriors 2006-04-20 20:06 |
| #16 NS, as to why the Chinese might want to sell MANPADS to terrorists, consider for a second the impact on the struggling airline business if some group of terrorist yahoos were to drop flaming 767s off the end of the runways onto Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Dallas. The airlines that aren't in bankruptcy soon would be and the ones that are would never come out. The damage to the US economy would be huge. As to how feasible something like this is, you really don't want to know how easy it would be to hit an airliner during takeoff. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-04-20 15:23 |
| #15 It fits the precepts of war with the US as defined by: Pan Jiabin and Liu Ruixiang, Art of War: A Chinese-English Bilingual Reader See more views here in CHINA DEBATES the FUTURE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-04-20 14:14 |
| #14 Would you like them here or there? I would not like them here or there. I would not like them anywhere. (sorry, Dr. Seuss) |
| Posted by: mrp 2006-04-20 13:23 |
| #13 look for more goodies to come through Los Angeles and it's ports in the near future, considering it has degenerated into a third world of it's own. Some of those missiles were probably intended for U.S. buyers but my opinion was the bulk of them were headed out of the country, probably South America somewheres. |
| Posted by: banned from rantburg 2006-04-20 13:14 |
| #12 Meth, counterfeit money, cigarettes, and Ecstasy are all fundraisers for the Norks, too. The black market has no guiding moral voice and no loyalties beyond themselves. |
| Posted by: Danielle 2006-04-20 11:47 |
| #11 MFN. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-20 11:30 |
| #10 Those are hardly benefits worth risking the exposure of national involvement. What's the downside for them? What would we do to them? |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2006-04-20 11:25 |
| #9 judging from his other export products, Meth, counterfeit money, cigarettes and Ecstasy, I'd say he was most likely just in it for the cash. Elements of the PLA has been involved in a number of things. Smuggling, piracy (both maritime and media), counterfeit items, trafficking in stolen vehicles, lumber, etc. Sales of weapons more advanced than AK-47s is just a marketing development. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2006-04-20 11:16 |
| #8 Those are hardly benefits worth risking the exposure of national involvement. If they really want to arm Latin Americans, let Hugo do it. I'd be more inclined to believe a greedy general who is risking an inventory audit. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-20 10:07 |
| #7 What value was there in selling AKs to street gangs in LA? Erosion of US security, funding of Chinese Army projects, arming of gangs that could make things bad for us and keep us from keeping them in line in Asia and Latin America .... a Chinese general and state-run manufacturer are linked to this crime |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-04-20 10:01 |
| #6 The Chinese military or Chinese military personnel? I thought Gertz was conveniently ambiguous. And it sounds like a scam. What value would there be to China to smuggle manpads into the U. S.? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-20 09:56 |
| #5 Bill Gertz says the Chinese military is directly complicit in this -- and not for the first time. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-04-20 09:51 |
| #4 I don't think that the Chinese particularly cared who was to use the missles, only that they would be used. The shoulder launched missile (MANPADS) is a real and growing danger. Given the number of these things loose in the world, it is amazing me that no US airliner has been shot down to date. I think that only luck and the rigorous, vigorous counterterrorism work of the US Government have protected us. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-04-20 09:26 |
| #3 Meth, counterfeit money, cigarettes and Ecstasy, "I'm just a simple arms dealer, diversifying my product line!" |
| Posted by: Raj 2006-04-20 09:21 |
| #2 TW, judging from his other export products, Meth, counterfeit money, cigarettes and Ecstasy, I'd say he was most likely just in it for the cash. An official Chinese covert op would hand over missiles to a terrorist group overseas, not deliver them directly to US buyer. They'd want to keep their fingerprints off the shipment. |
| Posted by: Steve 2006-04-20 09:17 |
| #1 So is this part of the Chinese army's covert warfare against the US, or did these shining members of the proletariat think they were supporting Al Qaeda... or someone else? La Raza would be a stretch, yes? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-04-20 08:15 |