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December 5, 2004

Iranians Arrested In Alleged Attempt To Obtain U.S. Night Vision Systems

Washington -- U.S. and Austrian authorities have arrested two Iranian men on charges of attempting to illegally export thousands of sophisticated American night-vision systems for Iran's military, U.S. officials said Friday. The alleged transactions were eventually expected to involved about 3,000 of the advanced helmet-mounted Generation III systems, which can amplify even faint starlight so that soldiers can see to fight in the dark. The two suspects, Mahmoud Seif and Shahrzad Mir Gholikhan, were arrested earlier this week on export violation charges in Vienna, Austria, by U.S. and Austrian authorities shortly after they arrived to pick up their first batch of night-vision equipment. Source...

In another article Dec 3 by a more authoritative source, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Michael J. Garcia, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Joseph Schmitz, Defense Department Inspector General, today announced that U.S. and Austrian authorities have thwarted a plot to illegally supply the Iranian military with thousands of advanced military night vision systems from the United States.

As a result of a two-year, joint investigation by ICE, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Austrian Federal Agency for State Protection and Counter Terrorism (Bundesamt Fur Verfassungsschutz und Terrorismusbekamfung or BVT), Austrian authorities have arrested two Iranian nationals, Mahmoud Seif and Shahrzad Mir Gholikhan for attempting to violate Austrian export laws.

Seif and Mir Gholikhan were arrested in Vienna, Austria, after a meeting in which they took possession of a U.S. helmet-mounted, Generation III military night vision system that they intended to illegally export to Iran. These transactions were to be the first involving a total of 3,000 Generation III military night vision systems that the defendants intended to purchase from the United States for illegal export to Iran. During conversations with U.S. and Austrian law enforcement officials over the course of the investigation, the defendants indicated that the night vision systems were intended for Iranian military infantry.

Generation III military night vision systems are among the most advanced in the world and are capable of amplifying virtually any light source, including faint starlight. Used by U.S. forces around the globe, these systems provide a significant advantage to U.S. troops over opponents in night-time combat. Because of their sophistication, these systems are classified as U.S. Munitions List items and their export from the United States is strictly prohibited without a valid export license from the U.S. State Department. Furthermore, all U.S. exports to Iran are prohibited under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

"Keeping sensitive U.S. weapons technology out of the hands of state sponsors of terror is a priority for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security," said ICE Assistant Secretary Garcia. "Sophisticated night vision systems allow U.S. troops to 'own the night,' giving them a key advantage over their opponents during night-time combat. In the wrong hands, these night vision systems pose a threat to our troops around the world. I would like to thank the Austrian BVT for its outstanding efforts in this investigation."    Read the ICE News Release...

Posted by Hyscience at December 5, 2004 6:36 PM

• Iranians Arrested In Alleged Attempt To Obtain U.S. Night Vision Systems - Dec 05, 2004