An update on this story, in which Maghloubi's lawyer had claimed his client had intended "to actually try and help a rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran" by arming a rival of Ahmadinejad. There are many unanswered questions there, not the least of which concerns the truth of that claim, but even if it were the case, would this supposed rival of Ahmadinejad still be committed to the perpetuation of the Sharia state, and the destruction of Israel? For that matter, how could Maghloubi be sure these weapons would not cross the border into Iraq and endanger U.S. and British troops?
"American jailed for attempted Iran weapons deal: prosecutors," from Agence France-Presse:
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A Los Angeles court jailed an American of Iranian origin for three years and five months Monday for trying to buy up to 100,000 submachine guns and sell them to Iran, prosecutors said.
Seyed Mostafa Maghloubi, 50, was arrested in early 2007 by police acting on a tip-off and pleaded guilty last August to violating the US trade embargo against Iran.
Prosecutors said Maghloubi admitted trying to buy up to 100,000 Uzi submachine guns and night-vision goggles, which he wanted to export to Iran through Dubai.
"These were very dangerous actions," said US District Judge George King, quoted by local media.
He said Maghloubi's actions could have caused many deaths and destabilized "an area of the world that has suffered enough from continuing upheaval."
That's all Islam really wants from the west - more guns and bullet.
would this supposed rival of Ahmadinejad still be committed to the perpetuation of the Sharia state, and the destruction of Israel?
Isn't this the dilemma we face when we try to deal with the "moderates" of any Islamic country, both in and out of power? What is their ultimate aim?
Whatever happened to that moderate pro-American Iranian president Bani Sadr? Is he still living in Paris? That's what moderation or opposing the religious leadership of Iran gets you, if you're lucky. He was another one who was "popular" with the young people.
per the iranians and other muslims...Jews are sub-human.
now, per this story...
to the iranians and other muslims, the Jewish sub-machine gun is worthy.
ironic.
Wow, three and a half years? I'd probrably get more than that if they caught me home-schooling my kids!
That *is* a rather lenient sentence. I wish the judges would stop with the tough words and start using their big stick instead when it comes to jihadists.
The guys funding Obama - with heavy relations to Saddam and post Saddam Iraq - why do all these spoors stretch from arabland into America ?
(Oh well - Obamers excuse is his wife's extravagence)
(so not only is the guy an incompetent with his foot continually in his mouth, but we are supposed to feel sorry for him because he is pussywhipped or henpicked)
I can hear the Islamic, Democratic and afro-American communities screaming "racism!" at the imposed 3 and 1/2 year sentence already.
Did the police check his garage to see if he had any barrels of oil stored there? Did they ask him how bored he is in his life? Did they ask him if he felt the police were too aggressive in their investigation?
It must be one of those.
Special_guest,
I'm still hopeful that the UN will pass a strongly worded resolution condemning boredom.
Then the core problem will be addressed and resolved.
[/sarcasm]
My question is more basic: even assuming the truth of Maghloubi's lawyer's claims, since when is an attempt to carry out a separate foreign policy any kind of defence at all? The United States of America have a legal government, and, whatever one may think of the Department of State, it is the only authority legally entitled to handle the foreign relations of the country. If this man seriously thought he coud carry out a foreign policy of his own, encouraging one faction in a foreign government against another, then he was subversively violating the rights and prerogatives of the Executive Branch. This ought to be regarded as a crime in itself.
Mind you, most likely it is just a tall tale told to make him sound less repulsive.
As the Great Rat philosohper once said:
"Where one rat is found - there are millions more in hiding"
And as a Californian, with a one hour drive away from the Los Angeles Courthouse, this 3 1/2 year sentence offers little comfort knowing that this single vermine is behind bars living on my tax dollars. Terminix would be a better choice.
"Wow, three and a half years? I'd probrably get more than that if they caught me home-schooling my kids!"
I would laugh but you are most likely correct.
That's all Islam really wants from the west - more guns and bullet.
Posted by: tanstaafl
---
We should give them what they want - just not the *way* that want.
As for this moslem conducting foreign policy.. maybe he should register as an "NGO". They conduct foreign policy all the time.
I think he should serve a stiff sentence and then get shipped back home to the umma.
"A Los Angeles court jailed an American of Iranian origin for three years and five months Monday for trying to buy up to 100,000 submachine guns and sell them to Iran, prosecutors said."
If we lose the war on terror it'll be because of our lack of imagination.
British and American intellegence agencies in the second world war would have known exactly what to do in a situation like this. Their "dirty tricks" sections would have responded with imagination and creativity. The dirty tricks they pulled on the enemy are legendary, and even inspired Hollywood to make movies about them.
They should have let the 100,000 submachine guns go through, along with all the ammo, with at least 70-80% of everything booby-traped to blow up in the faces of anyone trying to use them. We have the brains and technology, but no emagniation to use them to our advantage.
We need a Wild Bill Donovan in charge of operations, but all we get is unimaginative paper-shufflers.
They got their man, but threw away a grand opportunity.
"Maghroubi's lawyer had claimed his client had intended 'to actually try and help a rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran' by arming a rival of Ahmadinejad."
-- from the article above
Yes, and how did your client intend to "actually try and help a rapprochement between the U.S. and Iran"?
Oh, by buying in the United States, and smuggling to Iran, "up to 100,000 Uzi submachine guns and night-vision goggles, which he wanted to export to Iran through Dubai."
And here is what the American trial judge made of this argument:
"'These were very dangerous actions,' said US District Judge George King, quoted by local media.
He said Maghloubi's actions could have caused many deaths and destabilized 'an area of the world that has suffered enough from continuing upheaval.'"
What do you think? Do you think the judge is just a tad too skeptical, and he should give Mr. Maghloubi a break?
Express your opinon. Vote early and often by our convenient 900-number phone. Operators are standing by.
Hugh,
Glad to see you are alive and well. I never told you this and I am not sure how you will take it; I used to suspect that you and the late William F. Buckley were actually one in the same. Glad to be wrong.
Lying down.
Wise move
Now this you wont believe
Zarei was in charge of the programme for the 'moralisation of Tehran'.
http://illustratedpig.blogspot.com/2008/03/cannot-figure-this-one-out.html
I'm reminded of Sadegh Ghotbzadeh (Persian: صادق قطبزاده , b. 1936 - d. September 15, 1982) He was a close aide of Ayatollah Khomeini during his 1978 exile in France, and Iranian Foreign Minister (November, 1979 – August, 1980) during the hostage crisis. In 1982 he was executed -shot by firing squad- for allegedly plotting the assassination of Khomeini and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.
Khomeini was not amused.
California, an exotic land combining influences from south of the border and the Middle East. A land of friendly migrant workers with forged social security cards and shady criminal records who are pursuing the American dream, and self-sacrificing Iranians whose dedication to martyrdom is widely acclaimed in the Islamic world.
Come visit California, settle down, and help shoulder our tax burden.
Prosecutors said Maghloubi admitted trying to buy up to 100,000 Uzi submachine guns and night-vision goggles, which he wanted to export to Iran through Dubai.
_________________
100,000 uzi's at $2,200 each: $220,000,000 where did this mo keep 220 million dollars??? in his underware drawer???
They got their man, but threw away a grand opportunity.
Posted by: rational
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If ???'s math is right they threw away a $220,000 grand opportunity which I am sure doesn't seem like much to the likes of the bin-Bushes.
On a more seious note, I love the booby-trap idea.
And they'd never be sure what gear they have and what isn't boobytrapped
And we'd save loads of our of money and lives trying to figre out who's a bad guy and who isn't.
Kinda like the paint bombs that go off on bankrobbers after the heist.
OT
Norway's asylum centers are bursting.
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2307064.ece
OT
Judge sides with CAIR
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=58691
borg:
CAIR seeks shariah enforcement against "blasphemers" who exercise rights of free expression to tell the truth about the muslim murder cult. And Bush spoke out against the Danish cartoonists (as did weasel O'Reilly). And the federal regime served as an Intervener for the Defense in the "9-11 lawsuit." Bush has been effectively seeking financiers of his post-administration library since 2000; Arabs owe him as much as the jihadis who thrive on his "political islam" surrenders. Bush is a write-off; but McCain doesn't have the pan-religious contagion.
Bush regime persecutes Christian military pastor. His crime? Violated shariah obligations imposed on dhimmis.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/genera_jason_le_080311_navy_chaplain_who_ca.htm
Dhimmis continue to vomit spew about mutual respect that is supposedly held between muslims and kaffirs (non slaves-of-allah). A key work of the major muslim madhab, suggests otherwise. This is from the 13th century shariah spew: "Reliance of the Traveller: better translated as "Resources for the Muslim Terrorist."
BELIEF IN ALLAH'S INSPIRED BOOKS
u3.4 To believe in His inspired Books means those which He revealed to His messengers, believe
meaning to be convinced that they are the word of Allah Most High, and all they contain is the truth.
(A: The obligation of belief applies to the original revelations, not the various scriptures in the hands of non-Muslims, which are textually corrupt in their present form.)
Scholars differ as to how many Books there are. Some hold they number 104, and some say
otherwise. One is obliged to know four particular Books:
(1) the Tawrah (Torah), revealed to our liegelord Musa (Moses);
(2) the Injil (Evangel), revealed to our liegelord `Isa (Jesus);
(3) the Zabur (Psalms), revealed to our liegelord Dawud (David);
(4) and the Qur'an (Koran), revealed to our liegelord Muhammad (Allah bless them all and give them peace).
------------
George Bush: hear that? You love them; they hate you. Your Bible is accepted only in so far as it conforms to the self serving deceits of Muhammad. Try to give a bible to one of your beloved muslim beneficiaries, and see how much they respect your faith in god-fiction.
The tragedy is that one wants to assume that this only got to court because our diabolically clever intelligence services had satisfied themselves that this was a real bad-guy, and not a good but inept covert agent who blew his own cover.
But as matters stand, he might just as easily be a jealous jihaddi cousin of Im-a-dinner-jacket himself.
Sigh.
rational's booby-trap weapons idea is brilliant, brilliant. And truly, an opportunity was wasted.
But, for the future, what does anyone think? Would McCain's military background mean he'd put the right people in place rather than "unimaginative paper-shufflers" (do you import them from canerduh? They produce surpluses) so that future chances wouldn't get muffed?
Personally, I can't imagine Billary or Obama Hussein doing so.
Allah Schmallah, David in North Burnaby BC,
It makes my blood boil when I think of all the money we spend on our intelligence services, and get so little in return.
In the second world war, the British tracked down and arrested every German spy in Britain. They didn't put them on trial, and sentence them to imprisonment or death. They gave them a choice: a bullet in the head, or work for British intelligence. By the time the war ended, the entire German spy network in Britain was under the direction of the British, who used it brilliantly to feed misinformation to the German government and military.
There were many other cases similar to this, where imagination and creative thinking were employed instead of the gang-buster approach used by these dim-wits today.
Those 100,000 submachine guns -- properly and immaginitively booby-traped -- could have given new meaning to the term "gun shy."
As for Billary and Obama: God help us!!!