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Home Front: WoT
Oregon man busted in San Antonio trying to score missile parts for Iran
2007-02-02
Granted, it's "only a battery", but in today's world, I don't want ANYTHING sold to Iran.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. immigration agents have charged an Oregon businessman with trying to buy batteries used in U.S.-built Hawk surface-to-air missiles for shipment to Iran, court documents show. Robert Caldwell, 56, of Portland, Oregon, is charged with conspiring to export regulated items without a license under rules governing international arms trade. He was freed on $50,000 bond pending trial.

Caldwell was arrested last week after giving an undercover agent a check for the $5,000 batteries during a meeting at a hotel across from the historic Alamo mission, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jerry Robinette said. "There is no way to get a license," Robinette said. "He would not have been able to acquire a license to ship something like that to Iran."

Hawk missiles, which are launched from fixed positions and considered highly lethal, downed dozens of Iraqi Air Force jets at the start of the Gulf War in 1990. They are believed to be among weapons the United States sent to Iran as part of the Iran-Contra weapons-for-hostages exchange in the 1980s.
Sure, let's blame it on Ollie and Ronnie. The cowboys.
But the United States now strictly bans weapons exports to Iran, which it designates as a sponsor of terrorism.

Robinette said Caldwell is an import-export broker in Oregon. He did not say how many batteries Caldwell allegedly attempted to buy. They cost $5,000 each, officials said.

Caldwell's lawyer, Van Hilley, said his client was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That's actually a true statement.
"Mr. Caldwell is a broker, and he met this fellow from England and got involved in something that was well beyond his comprehension," Hilley said.
Sure, I always go to England and try to sell parts for Hawk missiles to folks I don't know. Straight out of last week's episode of 24, I tell ya.
Didn't understand any of it, did he, not even the part about handing over the check ...
The federal documents show Caldwell is the second person arrested for attempting to buy the batteries. The other suspect is said to have told investigators that the plan was to send the batteries to Iran. That suspect allegedly fingered Caldwell as a middle man in the scheme, prompting agents to set up the sting in San Antonio.
And now it's Caldwell's turn to rat out the next guy.
"Our concern is to make sure that this battery or any other components of a Hawk missile don't make it to Iran," Robinette said. "We want to make sure they never get ... used against our troops or against our allies."
Posted by:BA

#21  FREEREPUBLIC.com article > Is HOUSTON, TEXAS a [future/looming]Terror target!? Gist - Terrorists have switched to other plans.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-02-02 23:11  

#20  Grom..I was a 2211,'62-'64, 1st LAAM Bn, B Batt, back in the vacuum tube days, missed DaNang by a month. Keep pushing those buttons , this site needs Hawks like you. :)
Posted by: Phineter Thraviger   2007-02-02 20:01  

#19  Before I even looked at the article, I knew the SOB had to be from the People's Republic of Portland, soon to be the Caliphate of Portland. I live in Oregon, and the news about the Portland 7 is just the tip of the iceberg in that toilet of a town : the mayor is a whack job who has fought the Feds on EVERY counter-terrorism measure, the Chief of Police has been changed a few times recently but none of them have been strong anti-terrorists, and the Oregonian {aka Portland Pravda} glorifies and excuses any and all scumbags caught supporting the jihadis.
Posted by: Shieldwolf   2007-02-02 17:03  

#18  Question, when the hell are we going to start hanging traitors and Muslim terrorist? The new building design in New York should have included a gallows. Or at least a mobile one so it could be moved daily over to the New York Time's office.
Posted by: Icerigger   2007-02-02 13:02  

#17  Thanks PT. It's been a 1/4 century for me (and I was an operator, not a tech) so, I was sure---but not completely sure.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-02-02 11:30  

#16  Grom...you are absolutely correct. And Steve is also correct. (I was a Hawk pulse ack/BCC/ROR repair tech in the USMC) Pretty big missile, and far superior to the Ruskie SAM's. Maybe the Ranians converted the missile shell to a gas tank. Need a Raytheon engineer to explain this one.
Posted by: Phineter Thraviger   2007-02-02 10:59  

#15  Ooops, sorry. Forgot to change.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-02-02 10:52  

#14  #13 Ok.
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2007-02-02 10:51  

#13  Hawk is worthless without an illuminating radar

Which is why you can hang one on a F-14. They have that big radar in the nose they used to light up targets for the Phoenix missile.
Posted by: Steve   2007-02-02 10:34  

#12  "Sure, let's blame it on Ollie and Ronnie. The cowboys."

Don't forget Negroponte was a Latin American diplomat at the time. State has had endemic problems but it is finally drawing attention.
Posted by: Danielle   2007-02-02 10:22  

#11  To the Alamo with him. Up against the wall! FIRE !
Posted by: Besoeker   2007-02-02 10:17  

#10  #2 Come-on Mike, even turbans should know that Hawk is worthless without an illuminating radar (it navigates to target via radar reflections). And no way you could put one on a plane.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-02-02 10:17  

#9  Caldwell's lawyer, Van Hilley, said his client was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Actually, it's his father who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-02-02 10:14  

#8  Being where the action is - is not a crime; buying weapon stuff for Iran is. The jury in San Antonio will surely get to see it all in Living Technicolor and hear it all in SurroundSound. Some guy is going to have to get up and sing the song, "it was all a simple misunderstanding", and then tap dance the "he is a wonderful family man" for the jury. I hope Caldwell enjoys the show before the 20 year stretch begins.
Posted by: whatadeal   2007-02-02 10:09  

#7  "Sure, let's blame it on Ollie and Ronnie. The cowboys.
But the United States now strictly bans weapons exports to Iran, which it designates as a sponsor of terrorism."
Just like they did when Ollie and Ronnie were selling arms to our sworn enemies, nice historically heroic behaviour on behalf of the USA
Posted by: Huparong Phinens7517   2007-02-02 10:00  

#6  Traitors must be dealt with.
Posted by: Gloque Elmang4914   2007-02-02 08:53  

#5  "I was just the piano player in the whorehouse"
Posted by: JohnQC   2007-02-02 08:42  

#4  SwissTex, doesn't Sony make those exploding batteries? Let's sell him one of those.

Ahmadamndimanut job can file a warranty claim and we'll send him another one. Hee Hee.
Posted by: Lanny Ddub   2007-02-02 08:23  

#3  With all these components they need it would be a nice opportunity to plant some nasty bugs.
Posted by: SwissTex   2007-02-02 07:39  

#2  ...Just as a side note, the Iranians are believed to have adapted at least one of their F-14s to fire a Hawk mounted under its wings. Yes, it looks weird but it's at least technically doable..

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2007-02-02 05:56  

#1  You know, the “Graem Bauer” plotline on “24” makes more and more sense to me every day.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2007-02-02 00:19  

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