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| Dubai admits nuke, other smuggling through its ports | ||
| 2010-07-02 | ||
| Shipments of illegal nuclear and weapons-building material have been intercepted in Dubai and other ports in the United Arab Emirates, local authorities have admitted. Officials have accepted for the first time that the country is being used as a transit point for smuggling both money and illegal goods.
In the last week, the authorities have staged raids on dozens of firms regarded as fronts for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Dubai, and frozen 41 Iran-linked bank accounts. And at a meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism in Abu Dhabi, a senior figure revealed the extent of the trade in weapons and "dual-use" goods. Hamad al-Kaabi, ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said new laws relating to the trade in nuclear and dual-use goods had "led to the shutting down of dozens of international and local companies involved in money laundering and proliferation of dual use and dangerous materials". The goods included some whose trade was banned by United Nations regulations aimed at nuclear non-proliferation. "Security forces have interdicted scores of ships suspected of carrying illicit cargo and seized numerous sensitive shipments that could be used for the manufacture of weapons systems, including specialised aluminium sheets, titanium, high-speed computers and sophisticated machine tools." Titanium is a key component in long-range missiles.
Mr Kaabi refused to confirm that Iran was the target of the recent interceptions. But he told The Daily Telegraph: "The UAE has implemented many notable United Nations security council resolutions. A lot of these have banned certain goods going to certain countries." Three weeks ago, the security council approved a new round of sanctions against Iran, targeting conventional weapons and missile systems, and companies affiliated to the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). Dubai, which was founded largely on trade with Iran, has long been thought to have the closest ties of all the Emirates with the country. The Dubai-based Gulf News, quoting federal UAE government sources and documents, last week alleged that there were "several companies operating in the UAE which are directly or indirectly linked to the IRGC". | ||
| Posted by:lotp |
| #1 NET > By most accounts, AL QAEDA + RADIC ISLAM see only advantage in on-going sectarian strifes, espec ala secessionist struggles. * ION ISRAEL MIL FORUM > IRAN + PAKISTAN ARE BACKING ATTACKS ON BRITISH TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN. Afghan Talibs repor are altering thier tactics to enable LR sniper attacks agz UK forces. * SAME > ISLAMIC + ARAB STATES SHOULD HAVE UN SECURITY COUNCIL SEATS, SAYS PAKISTAN. * ISRAELI FORUM > [Debka]KING ABDULLAH DEMANDS ACTION TO STOP IRAN'S NUCLEARIZATION, OR ELSE!?; + IRAN FEARS ATTACK FROM FOUR DIRECTIONS, INCLUDING CAUCASUS + CENTRAL ASIA, + RUSSIA: ARMORED VEHICLES FOR WEST BANK [Russ trying again to equip PA]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-07-03 00:01 |