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Moving missiles around the world
(CNN) -- A British arms dealer is being held without bond, accused of trying to provide shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles to terrorists in the United States who purportedly wanted to shoot down American planes. The missile deal Hemant Lakhani was charged with making turned out to be a sting organized by U.S. and Russian intelligence agencies. But authorities are concerned that other black market sales are being successfully completed. The missile system Lakhani pitched was a Russian-built SA-18, which weapons experts call the "weapon of choice" for terrorists. Such shoulder-launched missiles were used in 29 attacks on civilian aircraft between 1978 and 1998, killing more than 400 people – mostly in Africa, according to the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency. One of the biggest international arms fairs is held each year in Britain. "British people do have a significant role to play in this trade, and there have been stories of British arms brokers arranging shipment to rebels in Sierra Leone, in Sudan, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia," said Andy McLean of Saferworld, a London-based independent think tank that tries to identify more effective approaches to armed conflict. Observers say most business conducted at arms fairs in Britain is legitimate. The gatherings are ideal opportunities for dealers to make contacts and for large companies to display their wares. But independent weapons consultant John Large suggests independent arms dealers may need the most watching. "Instead of having a large company of 50 or 100 people who sell arms here, there and everywhere, you have one-man bands who do this," Large said. "If a rogue trader can infiltrate that sort of system, you have a problem." Limited punch, but cheapAmerican officials estimate there are 750,000 shoulder-launched missiles worldwide. "These systems are very inexpensive, they're widely proliferated, they're easy to conceal and relatively easy to use," said national defense specialist Christopher Bolkcom. U.S. forces taking control of Iraq found a warehouse filled with SA-7 missiles. Crates of more SA-18s in a warehouse somewhere in the former Soviet Union were depicted in photographs shown to CNN by an international arms dealer. "American intelligence officials have said that the number available in the black market is in the hundreds. No one really knows for sure," said Steven Simon of the RAND Corporation. With only two kilograms (about 4.5 pounds) of high explosives in the heat-seeking warhead, the missile has limited punch. When fired at a large, multi-engine airliner, experts say a single missile would likely take out only one of its engines, if the missile even hits its target. "Even with an SA-18, you've got about a 50-50 shot of hitting a plane, and if you're an untrained firer, the odds of missing the plane are actually pretty good," said James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation. Airliner protectionFor example, terrorists authorities believe were linked to al Qaeda tried unsuccessfully to bring down an Israeli airliner in Mombasa, Kenya, in November with the much less reliable SA-7 missile. The sting operation that ended Tuesday with Lakhani's arrest was the result of an 18-month effort involving historic cooperation between intelligence officials in the United States and Russia. Britain also played a key role, U.S. officials said. (Full story, Russia reaction) "The fact that we're able to sting this guy is a pretty good example of what we're doing in order to protect the American people," said President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. (Details on sting) But Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, called on the president Wednesday to let the American people know what his administration plans to do to reduce the threat. In a letter, Schumer said the Department of Homeland Security will not begin outfitting commercial airliners with anti-missile systems until the end of 2005, "despite intelligence reports indicating a concerted effort to use shoulder-fired missiles against commercial airliners." "I am deeply disappointed by the administration's all too halting, slow and incomplete approach to protecting American commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles," Schumer wrote in a letter to the president. Schumer is sponsoring legislation to put anti-missile technology on the U.S. airliners. However, the FBI special agent in charge of the Newark, New Jersey, office where Lakhani was arrested said he was not worried. "As a matter of fact, I just flew in Newark Airport the other night, and I knew this investigation was ongoing and I really wasn't concerned," said agent Louie F. Allen. "We have people out there every day from all law enforcement agencies on the joint terrorism task forces, which is the vehicle to address terrorism in this country, and they're investigating matters and allegations like this every day." CNN correspondents David Ensor and Diana Muriel contributed to this report.
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