Analysts Say Missile Sting More Effective as PR Event Than as Serious Blow

[papau]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAEDUQKBJD.html

Analysts Say Missile Sting More Effective as PR Event Than as Serious Blow to Arms Trade By Steve Gutterman Associated Press Writer Published: Aug 13, 2003

MOSCOW (AP) - The sting that netted a Briton for allegedly trying to sell a Russian-made anti-aircraft missile in New Jersey was more a chance to show off cooperation among former Cold War foes than a sign of real progress in halting the black market in such weapons, Russian analysts said Wednesday. The chief spokesman for the Russian Federal Security Service called the arrest a "new stage in cooperation" among the secret services of the United States, Russia and Britain, the Russian news agency ITAR-Tass reported. Sergei Ignatchenko said in Washington that the improved intelligence ties are bringing "positive results" in efforts to stop the activities of criminal groups involved in illegal arms sales, ITAR-Tass said.

But Yevgeny Volk, head of the Moscow office of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington-based think tank, said the arrest would do little to dent the illegal trade in portable Russian-made missiles capable of downing jetliners. He said it was "a very big business and a very profitable one." The arrest "demonstrates the cooperation of the secret services, but from the point of view of stopping the flow of these weapons, it is not so effective," Volk said. ..An independent military analyst, Pavel Felgenhauer, also dismissed the arrest. He told Associated Press Television News that Russia's government is serious about cracking down on illegal arms deals. But he said the sting wasn't a good example of that because the alleged seller appeared to be a bit player while "on the black and gray market hundreds of such weapons change hands." <snip>

[xxqqqzme]

1. so, business as usual

the headlines scream 'n repeat the lies - the truth is a one time footnote 'n a whisper!

[papau]

2. A 24 hour news cycle dominated by this - only Aaron Brown was balanced

noted that the fact of an attempted sale was possibily the more important/scary fact - as in if this was stopped, how many more were not.

Cnn, but not the others, got the point.

We will see what happens at 6 o'clock news tonight.

Perhaps time to buy a flightsuit Bush doll - looks just like he did when he landed 4 miles off San Diego to say "major" death had ended - a 100 deaths and 7 wounded per day 100 days ago.

[samsingh]

9. is Aaron Brown

fair and balanced now?

[underpants]

14. Actually ABC WNT last night reported on it too

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/missile030813_sting.html

[MattNC]

3. what i figured

there are thousands upon thousands of stinger missiles and even more RPG's floating around on the black market. this is a step in the right direction, but its significance is being overblown by the media as usual.

[9215]

4. Who will ever read this analysis??????

That fascist chimp has already jumped on this as a significant achievement. Who can deny it? Most boob-tubed Americans will fall for this crap.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out later that this sting operation was just a contrived bit of cloak and dagger shit.

[goforit]

5. Yep .......and watch the poll #s be tasken now to show * as angelic.

WAG the DOG my friends!

We'll be seeing alot more of this crap till the election.

[karlschneider]

6. This is utter bullshit. Thousands of containers arrive in US ports every

day and 95% are never inspected. I would bet my inheritance against a cold cup of coffee there are dozens if not hundreds of stinger-like gizmos scattered around the country.
:grr:

[Guaranteed]

7. Dude...the Yahoo article I read said that the missile made specifically...

...for the guy by the Russians, and was purposefully made inoperable. The guy had been asking around about weapons, and they made it for him, then tracked him back to the US, told the US authorities, and they arrested him when he tried to bring it in and sell it.
This is nothing. It's total PR. At best, they got one arms dealer out of the mix, but none of the weapons.

[samsingh]

8. things are back to normal

other stuff is screwing up, create an event, and market it like something was accomplished.

[Thor_MN]

10. Complete horsepuckey

If I started making noise about needing a left-handed adjustable wrench and had a silent partner that makes them, is it really a big deal if someone connects the dots and tries to become a middleman? This situation was totally created. They were working a sting from both ends and found someone to move into their trap. BFD!!!

The guy is probably a creep, but what difference does it make that they managed to trap him? Are we any safer?

Like it or not, (I don't...) Airforce One was made a legitimate target by Doubledip's pre-emptive policies. It's probably the best protected operational airframe in the world. Is anyone really worried that it could be shot down?

[zekeson]

11. A load of nonsense

This guys was SO small potatoes. Equal to arresting a street corner junkie/pusher for having a handful of vials of crack. The folks who do the heavy duty trafficing in the real arms would be those folks who are invited the White House (the orginal and the pig farm), sleep in the Lincoln bedroom, have BBQ and near beer with * and contribute heavily to his campaign.

Move along folks, time to get back to all Ahhhnold, alll the time.

[Mal]

12. This guy's in serious trouble

He's been lured into a complete set-up, something that could well be thrown out of court normally, but the government's spinning this up as a "victory against terrorism", and the guy's "an ally of terrorists". It wouldn't surprise me if he's looking at 20 years, just because Bush and his enablers needed some good anti-terrorism press and he fell for it.

Edit - Hey! 100 posts, and I haven't even been thrown out yet.

[varun]

13. they caught the wrong guy

News Leak Blows Big Opportunity
http://www.msnbc.com/news/952001.asp?0cv=CB10

...But even so, U.S. law-enforcement sources tell NEWSWEEK, the damage was done. The FBI had to abort its plan to recruit Lakhani as an informant and instead charged him today in federal court in Newark, N.J., with weapons smuggling and with providing material support to terrorists. Also arrested in the case were two alleged confederates—a New York City jeweler and a Malaysian businessman—who were charged with conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transfer business....

:eyes:

[underpants]

15. ABC News actually uses the word "entrapment"

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/