AFP
The
reactor building at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran is
pictured. The United States on Friday announced charges against an
Iranian citizen and Chinese resident for allegedly trying to export
nuclear-related material to help Tehran enrich uranium.
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=US+charges+Iranian%E2%80%9A+Chinese+on+Iran+enrichment&NewsID=339573
The United States on Friday announced charges against
an Iranian citizen and Chinese resident for allegedly trying to export
nuclear-related material to help Tehran enrich uranium.
One of the men, Iranian citizen Parviz Khaki, was also accused of conspiring to send radioactive material from the United States to customers in Iran, according to an indictment by a federal grand jury in Washington.
Khaki, 43, was arrested in May in the Philippines on request of the United States while the Chinese resident, Yi Zongcheng, remains at large. The two men both face decades in prison if convicted.
The Justice Department alleged that Khaki and Yi sought to obtain and export materials including maraging steel, aluminum alloys, mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps used in gas centrifuges to enrich uranium.
Western officials and Israel suspect that Iran is enriching uranium to build a nuclear weapon under the cover of a civilian energy program. The same facilities used for peaceful enrichment can serve to build a bomb.
"Today's indictment sheds light on the reach of Iran's illegal procurement networks and the importance of keeping US nuclear-related materials from being exploited by Iran," Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco said in a statement.
"Iranian procurement networks continue to target US and Western companies for technology acquisition by using fraud, front companies and middlemen in nations around the globe," she said.
Iran, which has faced punishing Western sanctions, insists that its nuclear work is for peaceful purposes.
US officials said that Khaki in December 2008 asked a person in China to obtain 20 tons of C-350 maraging steel -- known for superior strength suitable in gas centrifuges -- from the United States for his customers in Iran.
He then communicated with Yi in the following months about buying 20 tons of maraging steel from a US company with which Yi was in contact, according to the indictment.
As he sought more maraging steel, Khaki was said to have interacted with an undercover US federal agent who was posing as an illegal exporter.
"You know and I know this material (is) limited material and danger goods," Khaki allegedly told the undercover agent. He also discussed making money from the transaction, the indictment said.
In a May 2009 email to the undercover agent, Khaki said that one magnetic mass spectrometer he sought was meant to analyze a chemical compound used in the gas centrifuge process to enrich uranium, according to the indictment.
Khaki allegedly also got in touch with someone in China about obtaining 20 tons worth of aluminum alloy rods from the United States or Europe.
During one exchange, Khaki explained that the aluminum alloy had to be made in America because his Iranian customer had found that Chinese aluminum alloy was of poor quality, according to the indictment.
In addition, the indictment said that Khaki tried to obtain radioactive source materials from the United States, asking the undercover agent to procure barium-133, europium-152, cobalt-57 and cadmium-109 from a US firm.
The two men were successful in exporting lathes and nickel alloy 120 wire from the United States through China to Iran, according to the indictment.
Khaki, who also goes by "Martin," and Yi, known as "Kohler," were each charged with one count of conspiracy to export US goods without a proper license, which carries up to 20 years in prison.
If convicted, they also face 20 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering, 10 years for each of two smuggling counts, five years for conspiring to defraud the United States and another 20 years for each count under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
One of the men, Iranian citizen Parviz Khaki, was also accused of conspiring to send radioactive material from the United States to customers in Iran, according to an indictment by a federal grand jury in Washington.
Khaki, 43, was arrested in May in the Philippines on request of the United States while the Chinese resident, Yi Zongcheng, remains at large. The two men both face decades in prison if convicted.
The Justice Department alleged that Khaki and Yi sought to obtain and export materials including maraging steel, aluminum alloys, mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps used in gas centrifuges to enrich uranium.
Western officials and Israel suspect that Iran is enriching uranium to build a nuclear weapon under the cover of a civilian energy program. The same facilities used for peaceful enrichment can serve to build a bomb.
"Today's indictment sheds light on the reach of Iran's illegal procurement networks and the importance of keeping US nuclear-related materials from being exploited by Iran," Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco said in a statement.
"Iranian procurement networks continue to target US and Western companies for technology acquisition by using fraud, front companies and middlemen in nations around the globe," she said.
Iran, which has faced punishing Western sanctions, insists that its nuclear work is for peaceful purposes.
US officials said that Khaki in December 2008 asked a person in China to obtain 20 tons of C-350 maraging steel -- known for superior strength suitable in gas centrifuges -- from the United States for his customers in Iran.
He then communicated with Yi in the following months about buying 20 tons of maraging steel from a US company with which Yi was in contact, according to the indictment.
As he sought more maraging steel, Khaki was said to have interacted with an undercover US federal agent who was posing as an illegal exporter.
"You know and I know this material (is) limited material and danger goods," Khaki allegedly told the undercover agent. He also discussed making money from the transaction, the indictment said.
In a May 2009 email to the undercover agent, Khaki said that one magnetic mass spectrometer he sought was meant to analyze a chemical compound used in the gas centrifuge process to enrich uranium, according to the indictment.
Khaki allegedly also got in touch with someone in China about obtaining 20 tons worth of aluminum alloy rods from the United States or Europe.
During one exchange, Khaki explained that the aluminum alloy had to be made in America because his Iranian customer had found that Chinese aluminum alloy was of poor quality, according to the indictment.
In addition, the indictment said that Khaki tried to obtain radioactive source materials from the United States, asking the undercover agent to procure barium-133, europium-152, cobalt-57 and cadmium-109 from a US firm.
The two men were successful in exporting lathes and nickel alloy 120 wire from the United States through China to Iran, according to the indictment.
Khaki, who also goes by "Martin," and Yi, known as "Kohler," were each charged with one count of conspiracy to export US goods without a proper license, which carries up to 20 years in prison.
If convicted, they also face 20 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering, 10 years for each of two smuggling counts, five years for conspiring to defraud the United States and another 20 years for each count under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Iranian, Chinese charged with aiding Iran enrichment: US
- Published: 14/07/2012 at 02:48 AM
- Online news: Asia. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/302372/iranian-chinese-charged-with-aiding-iran-enrichment-us
A federal grand jury has indicted an Iranian and
a Chinese citizen on charges of trying to illegally export US material
to help Tehran enrich uranium, American officials said Friday.
The
reactor building at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran is
pictured. A federal grand jury has indicted an Iranian and a Chinese
citizen on charges of trying to illegally export US material to help
Tehran enrich uranium, American officials said Friday. The materials that Khaki and Yi Zongcheng allegedly sought to obtain and export to Iran included maraging steel, aluminum alloys, mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps used to build, operate and maintain gas centrifuges to enrich uranium.
Khaki, 43, who also goes by "Martin," and Yi, known as "Kohler" were each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by conspiring to export US goods without a proper license.
They were also charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts of smuggling, two counts of illegally exporting US goods to Iran in violation of the IEEPA and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Khaki was arrested in May by authorities in the Philippines on a US provisional arrest request, while Yi remains at large.
If convicted, they each face up to 20 years for the IEEPA violations, five years for conspiring to defraud the United States, 10 years for each of the two smuggling counts, 20 years for each of the two IEEPA counts and 20 years for money laundering.
In December 2008, Khaki asked someone in China to obtain 20 tons of C-350 maraging steel, known for its superior strength suited for use in gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment, from the United States for his customers in Iran.
He then communicated with Yi in the following months about purchasing 20 tons of maraging steel from a US company with which Yi was in contact, according to the superseding indictment.
As he sought more maraging steel, Khaki was also said to have communicated with an undercover US federal agent who was posing as an illegal exporter of US goods in March 2009.
"You know and I know this material (is) limited material and danger goods," Khaki told the undercover agent. He also discussed his goal to make money from the transaction.
In late 2008, Khaki got in touch with someone in China about obtaining 20 tons of 7075-O aluminum alloy 80mm rods and 20 tons of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy 150 mm rods from the United States or Europe.
During one exchange, Khaki explained to the individual that the aluminum alloy had to be made in America because his Iranian customer had found that Chinese aluminum alloy was of poor quality.
In addition, the indictment found that Khaki had tried to obtain radioactive source materials from the United States, asking the undercover agent to namely procure barium-133 source, europium-152 source, cobalt-57 source and cadmium-109 source from a US firm.
"Today's indictment sheds light on the reach of Iran's illegal procurement networks and the importance of keeping US nuclear-related materials from being exploited by Iran," Assistant Attorney General for National Security Lisa Monaco said in a statement.
"Iranian procurement networks continue to target US and Western companies for technology acquisition by using fraud, front companies and middlemen in nations around the globe."
US charges Iranian, Chinese men with trying to export nuclear-related material
Parviz Khaki to stand trial for allegedly trying to buy steel for nuclear centrifuges; Zongcheng Yi still on the run
July 13, 2012, 10:53 pm . http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-charges-iranian-chinese-men-with-trying-to-export-nuclear-material/
A
2010 file photo of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. Israel may
agree to Iran keeping non-weapons grade nuclear material. (photo
credit:AP/Vahid Salemi)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two men have been charged
with trying to illegally export nuclear-related material to Iran that
could be used in gas centrifuges to enrich uranium, the US Justice
Department announced Friday.
A grand jury indictment in the case also
charged one of the men with conspiring to procure radioactive material
from the United States for customers in Iran.
Parviz Khaki, a citizen of Iran, was arrested
in May by authorities in the Philippines on a US provisional arrest
request. The other man, Zongcheng Yi, a resident of China, is a
fugitive.
The grand jury charged that in 2008 Khaki
asked someone in China to obtain 20 tons of C-350 maraging steel from
the US for Khaki’s customer in Iran. The enhanced strength of maraging
steel is especially suited in gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment.
Khaki also communicated with Yi about purchasing 20 tons (18.1 metric
tons) of maraging steel from a US company with which Yi was in contact.
In pursuit of maraging steel, Khaki allegedly
began communicating with an undercover US federal agent posing as an
illegal exporter of US goods.
“You know and I know this material” is “limited material and danger goods,” Khaki told the undercover agent.
Khaki also is accused of seeking to obtain
mass spectrometers from the US In a May 2009 email to the undercover
agent, Khaki said one magnetic mass spectrometer he sought was for the
isotopic analysis of gaseous uranium hexafluoride, the government said.
Uranium hexafluoride is the chemical compound used in the gas centrifuge
process to enrich uranium.
In May 2009, Khaki allegedly asked the
undercover agent to buy radioactive materials from a US company,
including barium-133 and europium-152. In January 2011, Khaki again
asked the undercover agent to purchase radioactive sources. Khaki
allegedly sent the agent a product catalogue for radioactive materials,
including cobalt-57. In another email, he requested that the agent
purchase cadmium-109.
Lisa Monaco, the assistant attorney general in
charge of the Justice Department’s national security division, said the
case sheds light on the reach of Iran’s illegal procurement networks
and the importance of keeping US nuclear-related materials from being
exploited by Iran.
Monaco said Iranian procurement networks
continue to target US and Western companies for technology acquisition
by using fraud, front companies and middlemen in nations around the
globe.
John Morton, director of Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, said US law enforcement had disrupted a significant
threat to national security by dismantling a complex conspiracy to
deliver nuclear-related materials to Iran.
The indictment alleges that the efforts of the
defendants actually did result in the illegal export of lathes and
nickel alloy 120 wire from the US through China to Iran. In February
2009, Khaki asked Yi to contact a US company about procuring two Twister
Speed Lathes. Yi allegedly purchased these items and arranged for them
to be shipped from the US to Hong Kong and ultimately to Iran in June
2009. At Khaki’s request, an unnamed conspirator sent a US company an
order for nickel alloy, falsely stating that a company in China was the
buyer. The US company shipped the nickel alloy to Yi in Hong Kong, who
shipped it on to Iran.
Khaki and Yi are each charged with one count
of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
by conspiring with others to export US goods to Iran without a required
US Treasury Department license. Both are also charged with one count of
conspiring to defraud the US, two counts of smuggling, two counts of
illegally exporting US goods to Iran in violation of IEEPA and one count
of conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
Both defendants face a maximum sentence of 20
years in prison for conspiring to violate IEEPA; five years for
conspiring to defraud the US, 10 years for each smuggling count, 20
years in prison for each IEEPA count and 20 years in prison for
conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
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