http://www.geostrategy-direct.com/geostrategy-direct/secure/2011/06_08/1.asp
Madrid blocks try by Iran for nine U.S. military helicopters LONDON - Iran has been stopped in efforts to acquire U.S.-origin military helicopters. The government in Madrid reported blocking an Iranian attempt to purchase nine U.S. military helicopters through Spanish companies. Officials said Iran ordered the Bell-212 transport helicopter for Teheran's military and security forces. "They tried to protect the export sale, which could have resulted in revenue of about 100 million euro, under the cover of legal aviation repairs," Spanish police said. In a statement on May 26, Spanish police said they found the helicopters ordered by Iran in warehouses in Barcelona and Madrid. Police said the helicopters as well as spares were seized. This marked the latest attempt by Iran to acquire U.S. aircraft. Earlier this year, Washington reported the arrest of several American businessmen for agreeing to sell surplus aircraft, engines and spares to the Teheran regime. Police said five Spanish executives and three Iranians were arrested in connection with the helicopter deal. They said Iranian representatives had arrived in Spain to pay for the aircraft and arrange for shipment to Teheran. The Bell-212 has been part of the Iranian Air Force fleet since 1971. The helicopter, designed to transport soldiers and equipment, could reach a speed of 225 kilometers per hour and a range of nearly 600 kilometers. The Spanish defendants were said to have acquired the helicopters from Israel. Officials said Israel sold the surplus helicopters for $20 million to a Spaniard identified as Pedro Matorna. The United States approved the sale after Matorna said the Bell-212 would be used to fight forest fires. "There was a group of Spanish citizens who bought material, in this case helicopters, in Israel and then tried to sell them to other nations to which you can't export arms, like Iran," Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, discuss-os...@yahoogroups.com. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor biso...@intellnet.org http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: osint-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: osint-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: osint-dig...@yahoogroups.com osint-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: osint-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
