Venezuela under Sanctions for Equipping FARC

Chavez Protests Sanctions for Helping FARC

ARACAS — President Hugo Chavez challenged US President Barack Obama to prove US claims that four senior Venezuelan officials are involved in drugs and arms trafficking, as the foreign ministry formally protested US sanctions on the officials.

Washington on Thursday accused the Venezuelan officials of aiding the leftist Colombian guerrilla group FARC and put them on a list of narcotics kingpins subject to sanctions.

"I challenge president Obama to show proof of this outrage," Chavez told reporters at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas.

The US move "is part of the Yankee empire's determination to place Venezuela one day on the list of failed states or ... countries that support terrorism," Chavez said.

Washington identified the men as Major General Cliver Alcala; ruling party lawmaker Freddy Bernal; Amilcar Figueroa, a delegate to the Latin American Parliament; and intelligence official Ramon Madriz.

Chavez said he spoke out to "defend the honor of these four compatriots who were unjustly named on the list."
Venezuelan authorities delivered a note of protest over the sanctions to the US embassy's charge d'affairs Kelly Keiderling on Friday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Relations have been tense between the two countries for years, and the countries have not exchanged ambassadors since late 2010.

The US Treasury Department action on Thursday authorizes the seizure of any assets the four men may have in the United States and prohibits US citizens from doing business with them.

The four were targeted for "acting for or on behalf of the narco-terrorist organization the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), often in direct support of its narcotics and arms trafficking activities," the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The head of the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control described the four as "key facilitators of arms, security, training and other assistance in support of the FARC's operations in Venezuela."

The Rest @  Shimron Letters

Vladimir Gavrilov Aleged Russian Arms Trafficker Detained in Greece

Police in northern Greece say they have detained a Russian citizen wanted in Peru for a case of arms trafficking to Colombia's leftist guerrilla group FARC.

Police say the man was arrested Friday in a hotel near Thessaloniki. He will appear before an appeals court Monday in connection with an international warrant issued against him by Peru.

Police officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing that the suspect is named Vladimir Gavrilov.

Police say Gavrilov allegedly partVladimir Gavrilov.icipated in a deal involving 10,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, purchased in Jordan and parachuted to the FARC in 1999. Former Peruvian spymaster Vladimiro Montesinos was sentenced in September 2006 to 20 years for masterminding the deal.

The Rest @ Taiwan News

Viktor Bout Trial set for October 2011

By Bob Van Voris - Aug 2, 2011 11:34 AM CT

Viktor Bout, who is accused of conspiring to sell weapons to a Colombian terrorist group, lost a second bid to have the charges thrown out.
U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan today rejected Bout’s arguments that the U.S. unfairly targeted him for prosecution and illegally extradited him from Thailand. Last month, Scheindlin rejected Bout’s attempt to have the case dismissed on jurisdictional grounds.
Bout was arrested in 2008 in Bangkok by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents in a sting operation. The government said undercover agents told Bout they were buying weapons for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, including surface-to-air missiles, armor-piercing rocket launchers and machine guns.

Bout, a Russian citizen, argued in court papers that he was “vindictively targeted for prosecution” because the U.S. Defense Department was allegedly embarrassed by reports in 2006 that companies Bout controlled were supplying U.S. armed forces in Iraq.

“I am now looking forward to trial in October, where I’m confident it will become clear that this was a completely DEA- created sting and that Mr. Bout never intended to transport arms to them,” Bout’s lawyer, Albert Dayan said.

The Rest @ Bloomberg

The case is U.S. v. Bout, 08-cr-0365, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Bob Van Voris in Manhattan federal court at rvanvoris@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Hytha at mhytha@bloomberg.net

Transnational Terrorist and Criminal Networks Now Put Nigerian National Security at Risk

BY OKEY NDIRIBE & CHRIS OCHAYI
ABUJA—Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazzau, has identified transnational criminals and global terrorist networks, which have infiltrated West African, as a serious threat to the nation’s security.

Delivering the keynote address at the National Stakeholders Summit on Security and Public Awareness, Dambazzau said the region had become a major reference point for global criminal activities, describing Nigeria as a major transit for drugs and arms trafficking.

Dambazzau said trafficking in small arms and light weapons was the major cause of global proliferation of arms, adding that when the arms found their way into the country, they were used for various acts of violence, such as armed robbery and ethno-religious conflicts.

He added: “In addition to the possibility of importation of terrorism through known global terror networks, transnational organised crimes, involving arms, drugs, human trafficking, money laundering, cyber-crimes , advance fee fraud and illegal bunkering are, indeed, posing serious security threats to Nigeria.”

He further stated that corruption had become a major threat to the nation’s security and stability.
Said he: “Much relevant to our gathering here, is the fact that corruption endangers the stability and security of our society when it undermines the institutions and values of democracy.

“Overall, corruption is both a cause and consequence of poverty and under-development and it increases the likelihood of other crimes.”

Declaring the summit open, President Goodluck Jonathan noted that the nation had been confronted with some major security challenges in recent times.

Enumerating such challenges as intra and inter party conflicts, socio-economic agitations, ethno-religious crisis, civil and organised rebellion, and outright criminality, the President reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to secure the life and property of the citizenry.

He said: “Let me reiterate that this administration remains irrevocably committed to its constitutional role of securing the lives and property of all Nigerians.

“Government is ready to do whatever needs to be done, within the scope of the rule of law, to bring about lasting peace, while also laying more emphasis on an intelligence based approach to meeting our national security challenges.

“Similarly, this administration is committed to the fulfilment of its promises of growing the economy through job creation for our teeming youths, so that they can be meaningfully engaged.”

President Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, reminded Nigerians that “security is a shared responsibility which underscores the importance of identifying and reporting suspicious activities.”

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to be vigilant and report suspicious characters to security agencies, adding that “to facilitate this, the office of the National Security Adviser is working with the Ministry of Communication to make telephone service operators provide toll free emergency lines that are going to be very easy to remember by the public.”

The President challenged participants to come up with simple and effective strategies for raising public awareness on indicators of security threats and to emphasise the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

In his own remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad II, said the presence of high ranking traditional rulers from across the country indicated the concern and commitment of traditional institutions to the peace and security of Nigeria.

He thanked the Federal Government for setting up the committee.

The Sultan expressed concern over the fate of report that would emanate from the summit and said, “I pray that at the end of this summit, the recommendations that would be put forward and sent to the government will not be thrown into the dust bin as so many others before this kind of summit.”

In his goodwill message, the Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozie observed that most nations in the world have gone through conflicts and wars.

“ People leave their nationalities and religion to come together on their own and wish to be together and remain as a country. We need to have done more to bring the people together so that we all merge our various traditional cultures and religions into becoming one nation” he said.

He continued: “We are happy that this has now has been recognised and we are here today to begin that journey that will lead to Nigeria becoming one nation, one people out of this diversity.”

Most speakers at the occasion condemned the activities of Boko Haram and other armed groups that have unleashed mayhem on different parts of the country.

• Others speakers at the summit who included,
• Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar Ibn Umar;
• Tor-Tiv, Chief Alfred Torkula;

• Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe;
• the representative of Oni of Ife, Oba Aderemi Adeniyi-Adedapo, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Haliru Bello and Minister of Information Labaran Maku.
• They all acknowledged that this is trying period for the nation due to its challenging security situation.

Other dignitaries who graced the occasion were the President of Nigerian Guild of Editors and General Manager/Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard Newspaper, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye; spokesperson of the State Security Services, SSS, Marilyn Ogar;

Alhaji Idi Farouk,

former Commissioner of Police, FCT, Command, Mr. Lawrence Alobi; Deputy Governor of Kogi State,

The Rest @ Vanguard

Viktor Bout is In US Custody

By Samuel Rubenfeld

Viktor Bout, the alleged Russian arms dealer whose reported escapades inspired the film “Lord of War,” pleaded not guilty in a New York court to charges that he agreed to supply Colombian terrorists with weapons with the intent to kill Americans.

The plea came only hours after Bout was extradited from Thailand, after two years of legal wrangling. Bout, a former Soviet air force officer, arrived Tuesday night at Westchester County Airport in New York.

Bout runs an air-cargo business that he has said specializes in bringing legitimate cargo into conflict zones, but U.S. authorities labeled him as the world’s most notorious arms dealer for using his business to fly weapons across the world.

Suspected clients include Liberia’s Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi; Bout’s life was the subject of a bestselling book.

“The so-called ‘Merchant of Death’ is now a federal inmate,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara at a press conference, referring to a nickname Bout received for his activity over the years. “No one is beyond the reach of the law.”

At the press conference, Bharara said Bout was secretly recorded advocating that his weapons be used to kill Americans and that he supported FARC’s goals.

He was added to the specially designated nationals list at the Office of Foreign Assets Control in July 2004 for weapons trafficking activity in Liberia, and the indictment says 30 more companies and four individuals linked to him were added in April 2005.

According to the indictment, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agents, working undercover with confidential sources posing as agents of the Colombian rebel group FARC, convinced Bout to sell them weapons including 700 to 800 surface-to-air missiles, 5,000 AK-47 firearms, unmanned drones and land mines, for the purpose of killing Americans. The conspiracy with the agents lasted from November 2007 through March 2008, when he was arrested at a hotel in Bangkok.

He was charged with conspiring to kill U.S. nationals, conspiracy to kill American officers and employees, conspiring to use and acquire anti-aircraft missiles, and conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted on all four counts, Bout faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, or a minimum of 25 years in prison.

His extradition from Thailand was fought to the end by the Russian government, and it could imperil U.S.-Russian relations. The Russian Foreign Minister called the extradition an “extreme injustice,” saying his government will defend him “by any means.”

Also at the press conference, Bharara announced the guilty plea of Andrew Smulian, who faced the same four counts as Bout’s associate. He agreed to cooperate with the investigation, and faces a maximum of life in prison, or a minimum of 25 years.

“Viktor Bout has been indicted in the United States, but his alleged arms trafficking activity and support of armed conflicts in Africa has been a cause of concern around the world. His extradition is a victory for the rule of law worldwide,” said Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement.

Read the indictment below:

Indictment document

The Rest @ the Wall Street Journal

Viktor Bout Leaves Thailand in US Custody

Published: 16/11/2010 at 02:01 PM
Online news:

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout left Thailand aboard a US government jet at 1.27pm on Tuesday, police said.

About 50 police, including snipers, were at Don Mueang airport to ensure his extradition was incident free.

The 20-seat plane was also carrying two pilots and six officials from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, according to police.

The Rest @ Bankok Post

Eye Witnes of Chavez Aid Giving Arms to the FARC

News Article

Ex national security adviser reports Venezuelan arms shipment to the FARC
Retired Venezuelan Navy Rear Admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo said that former Minister of Interior Ramón Rodríguez Chacín asked him to hand over rifles to the guerrilla rebels when he was in charge of the military arsenal.

Published in: ElUniversal.com - August 30, 2010

Former Rear Admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo, who used to be a National Security Adviser during Hugo Chávez's administration, witnessed some of the first attempts of the Venezuelan government to illegally supply weapons to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to an interview published on Monday by The New Herald.

Molina, in exile in Europe after taking part in the failed coup d'état in 2002, said that retired Navy Captain Ramón Rodríguez Chacín, an aide of President Chávez, asked him to hand over rifles to the guerrilla rebels when Molina Tamayo was in charge of the Armed Forces arsenal, Efe reported.

The Rest @ OLADD

Thailand Approves US Extraditin of VIktor Bout

Thailand court approves US extradition of Viktor Bout

An appeals court in Thailand ruled Friday that accused
Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout can be extradited to the US to face charges including conspiracy to kill US nationals and conspiracy to provide material support to a proscribe terrorist group.

The court’s decision overturned a decision issued by the Bangkok Criminal Court last August, refusing to extradite Bout on the basis that the accusations made by the US were not cognizable under Thai law.

The appeals court ruled that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the group Bout is accused of supporting, is a cognizable terrorist group under Thai law and that Thailand is obligated to honor their extradition treaties with the US.

Lawyers for Bout argued that his safety would be in jeopardy in the US and that he would be unable to receive a fair trial. They have also indicated that they will continue fighting Bout’s extradition by filing an appeal with the Thai government.

A spokesperson for the US Department of Justice (DOJ), praised the court’s decision:

"We are extremely pleased that the Appeals Court in Thailand has granted the extradition of Viktor Bout to the United States on charges of conspiring to sell weapons to a terrorist organization for use in killing Americans. We have always felt that the facts of the case, the relevant Thai law and the terms of our bilateral extradition treaty clearly supported the extradition of Mr. Bout on these charges."

Posted on 21 August, 2010 by Mathias Vermeulen

The Rest @ legallift

Sahara States to Cooperate against al Qaeda

By Salah Sarrar

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Sahara-region states must work together to fight an emerging alliance of Islamist militants and drug traffickers with South American links, the head of a regional body said on Monday.

Western governments believe that al Qaeda-linked insurgents and drug smugglers -- using the politically volatile and sparsely populated Sahara as a safe haven -- are forging ties which could make both groups a more potent threat.

Disputes among regional governments have hampered efforts to mount a coordinated response, frustrating the United States and the European Union, which fear the region could become a launching pad for al Qaeda attacks elsewhere.

"The most important issue is the lack of security and smuggling, especially drug smuggling which has now crossed into our region from South America," Mohamed Al-Madani Al-Azhari, Secretary-General of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, told Reuters in an interview.

"It seems that there is coordination and cooperation between smugglers and those extremists who practice terrorism and kidnap foreigners," he said after a meeting of the organisation's executive council in the Libyan capital.

"We have to face all of this frankly," said Al-Azhari, who is Libyan.

"Stability is a central issue because in the absence of stability we cannot have development."

The United States has responded to the al Qaeda threat by sending troops to take part in what it calls training and assistance programmes in some of the region's states.

But some of the bigger powers in the Sahara, led by Libya and Algeria, are resisting Western military involvement.

Al-Azhari said his organisation would coordinate efforts to "lay down a complete and comprehensive strategic plan to fight the lack of security and to not allow the foreign intervention which has begun to appear in our region".


WESTERN HOSTAGES

U.S. officials have said traffickers use the Sahara region as a staging post for flying illegal drugs from South America into Europe and that Al Qaeda militants could tap into the smugglers' network of aircraft and secret landing strips.

A group called al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) kidnapped a Frenchman and three Spaniards in the Sahara late last year. It has said it will kill the French hostage by the end of this month unless Mali frees four al Qaeda prisoners.

AQIM has waged a campaign of suicide bombings and ambushes in Algeria but in the past few years has shifted a large part of its activities south to the Sahara desert.

Last year it killed a British tourist, Edwin Dyer, after kidnapping him on the border between Niger and Mali while he was attending a festival of Tuareg culture.

The group also said it shot dead a U.S. aid worker in Mauritania's capital in June last year, and carried out a suicide bombing on the French embassy there in August that injured three people.

Senior foreign ministry officials from the Community of Sahel-Saharan States' 28-member countries met in Tripoli to coordinate their positions before a summit of the African Union to take place in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa that began on Monday.

Saharan states for more than a year have been planning a regional conference to map out a joint response to the al Qaeda threat, but the gathering has been postponed repeatedly.

Disputes among neighbouring countries -- including long-running rows between Chad and Sudan and Algeria and Morocco -- have blocked efforts to hammer out a joint approach.

(Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Michael Roddy)

The Rest @ Reuters

Al-Kassar Arms Trafficking Operation Exposed by Mediafax

This is a very rough translation of an article that appeared on the Romanina media network Mediafax on October 27, 2009. TBDA shows that they have been conducting an investigation for some time.

-Shimron Issachar

The contract between the company Romarm and used, according to UN publications, the arms trafficker Monzer Al-Kassar as a front for arms exports for brigades FARC has not been finalized, said Tuesday evening, the AFP, general manager of Romarm John whip.

Contract for supply of weapons to FARC alleged destination was not executed (Image: Archive Mediafax Foto)

"I can tell that Romarm a contract with the company Trowl Services Limited, which aim to contract the supply of products for police in Nicaragua. This contract, like all contracts that we conclude, it enters into force, according to a clear terms, I would say the primary, only after it received an export license to the National Authority for Control of Exports (ANCEX).

Although this agreement was an export license issued by ANCEX, it was immediately withdrawn and while it was valid was not made any delivery and has not received any money under this contract ", they said by phone, whip, agency AFP.

Director Romarm could not specify what were the reasons for which the license ANCEX was "immediately" withdrawn, adding that institutional relations between the institution endorses Romarm and exports "not involve the provision of explanations or additional information.

Whip's statements come in the context of the emergence of a magazine article published in the UN Institute for Disarmament, which shows that Monzer al-Kassar, a leading international arms trafficking network condemned by the U.S.,  has negotiated with Romarm Romanian company in 2007, buying arms which was to reach the Colombian group FARC.

In February, Monzer al-Kassar has been condemned by the District Court in New York to 30 years in prison for having agreed to provide arms Colombian terrorist group FARC.

 "Monzer al-Kassar was convicted following a "sting?"organized by the U.S. Anti-Drug Agency (DEA), which had received large sums for the purchase of weapons, including sophisticated surface-to-air missiles.

The weapons were to be purchased from the Romanian company Romarm , which, as the evidence on record, did not oppose the sale, showed the article published in the magazine UN Institute for Disarmament Research in the field (UNIDIR), available on the website www.unidir.ch.

 In response to those related by UNIDIR, whip said that no representative Romarm concluded any agreement with Monzer al-Kassar and it never provided any price list.

 Also Tuesday, the Director of National Agency for Conventional Arms Exports Control said by telephone to the agency AFP, that the transaction which reported UNIDIR was never completed, leaving to understand that an institution that has not ever endorsed such export.

"Anyone can enter any contract, but this kind of business document contains a clause on consent from us, from ANCEX. Ask those from Romarm if they received any notice for that transaction," said ANCEX official, refusing any further comment.

"Probably to mislead the authorities in Romania", al-Kassar has used an intermediary to purchase arms and ammunition from Romarm. The intermediary was Milan Djurovic, the company Trawl Services Limited, registered in Britain but which is based in Belgrade, write the authors document UNIDIR.

Several instruments found in possession of al-Kassar shows that Milan Djurovic was used in business transactions (with) Transtrade GmbH. The UNIDIR report (said ) and export license C32.7515 was issued (May 16, 2007) between Romarm and Trawl Services Ltd, a copy (of)the contract between the two companies were found on Al-Kassar.

Previously, Nicolae Iancu, marketing director of Romarm, said to AFP that the number cited by UNIDIR is a contract, not a license to export the ANCEX.

It can be a very legally binding contract with a firm, but that has not received notice ANCEX. Maybe just as well be talking about a fake contract, and such cases we have seen in almost 30 activities to Romarm" Janco said.

Iancu, who was director of Romarm and 2007, when Kassar, under UNIDIR publication should be negotiated with the institution, argued that evidence from the authors expected the UN publication and, referring to the fact that the publication maintains that information is contained in testimony of one of U.S. agencies involved in its monitoring of Kassar said that testimony in the courts "may be false.

"The fact that the transaction was never made means that it is not approved by ANCEX without notice any weapon can be delivered across borders or understanding between Romarm and British company has not reached the stage of obtaining export license, "concluded Iancu, adding that the program is not allowed to study the document UNIDIR and does not remember the names of firms or persons involved in the alleged contract.

 According to Iancu, the information presented in the publication UNIDIR are "speculation" and are part of a series of attacks aimed at destabilizing trade Romanian defense industry.

"In recent years (reports occured) in the international press (that there were) items with the wrong destination, real attacks aimed at destabilizing the Romanian defense industry," said Janco, Tuesday evening, (to the) agency AFP, stressing that in his opinion, and information about (the) contract that involved Monzer al-Kassar, a leading international arms trafficking network in the U.S. convicted, would enter into the same category.

Asked how it was possible to conclude such a contract by Romarm, Janco said that an opinion is a pre-export phase and that, in principle, may be concluded "many ways" of contracts, but (th coontracts) do not run until after supplies are approved by ANCEX.

"We are a state company, everything is checked. Work legally, so it hurts me when I see all these defamations" he concluded, adding that Romarm could take an official position "if you consider (it)appropriate".

Al-Kassar had received over $ 400,000 to purchase weapons, funds that would provide money (for use?) by the FARC in drug trafficking but were actually funds the U.S. Anti-Drug Agency (DEA) to organize flagrantului.

Al-Kassar had repeatedly link edarms with companies from Bulgaria and Romania and traveled to both countries to complete arrangements to purchase weapons, "explained DEA agent William Brown in U.S. court which tried the al-Kassar, his testimony was the main source UNIDIR document.

The American agent quoted by UNIDIR, the operation provided by the FARC (to)purchase the following weapons to al-Kassar:

• 4350 AKM assault rifles,
• 3350 by AKMS assault rifles,
• RPK 200 assault rifles,
• 50 rifle with telescope Dragunov,
• 500 Makarov pistols,
• 2,000,000 7.62 mm caliber bullets
• 120 grenade launchers RPG,
• 1650 PG-7V grenade and
• 2,400 hand grenades RGO-78.
  

 "Substantial amounts began to be sent undercover agents of the DEA (to?) accounts controlled by al-Kassar, and, according to U.S. court documents, he was able to negotiate successfully with Romarm company and other companies to purchase, in addition, (Surface to air ) missiles-air SA-7, SA-16 and SA-18.

Al-Kassar told us that he was in Bulgaria and would arrive the next day in Romania, of the arms contract. He was to meet on May 11, 2007 with representatives of the arms industry in Romania. We useed airline data to confirm that al-Kassar went to Romania on May 10, 2007, 'says DEA agent William Brown, quoted by the authors UNIDIR publication.

During the visit to Romania and Bulgaria, al-Kassar (brought)a table of prices of the companies Romarm (Romania) and Armitrans (Bulgaria), stresses the document, which he cites DEA agent William Brown said that "some of the weapons had been purchased Al-Kassar from Romarm.

Milan Djurovic intend to buy from Romarm

• 2,000 AKM assault rifles
• 2250 AKMS assault rifles,
• 200 RPK rifles,
• 50 rifles with Dragunov telescope

The total contract value of $607,000.

The weapons were to be bought by al-Kassar with 920,000 dollars and the price demanded (of) the FARC would be 2,005,000 dollars, according to the report UNIDIR.

Trawl Services Company, cited in Article UNIDIR, (was to) provide safety equipment and police protection and commercial organizations (suuport) worldwide.  The company's website (says it) provides armored cars, gas masks, metal detectors and other products.

 The contact is a mailbox in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

UN Institute for Disarmament Research in the field (UNIDIR) was established in 1980 by the UN General Assembly and operates as an autonomous entity within the UN structures

The Rest @ Mediafax