Iranians Arrested on Vision-System Export

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - U.S. and Austrian authorities have arrested two Iranian men on charges of attempting to illegally export thousands of sophisticated American night-vision systems for Iran's military, U.S. officials said Friday.



The alleged transactions were eventually expected to involved about 3,000 of the advanced helmet-mounted Generation III systems, which can amplify even faint starlight so that soldiers can see to fight in the dark.


"Sophisticated night vision systems allow U.S. troops to own the night, giving them a key advantage over their opponents during night-time combat. In the wrong hands, these night vision systems pose a threat to our troops around the world," said Michael J. Garcia, chief of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.


The two suspects, Mahmoud Seif and Shahrzad Mir Gholikhan, were arrested earlier this week on export violation charges in Vienna, Austria, by U.S. and Austrian authorities shortly after they arrived to pick up their first batch of night-vision equipment. The investigation dates to August 2002 and involves ICE, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Austrian security personnel.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=693&e=7&u=/ap/20041203/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iran_night_vision

[jukes]

1. GI's will NEVER

own the night. didn't in "nam, won't now. goes deeper than tech; americans are just plain afraid of the dark.

[yltlatl]

2. Why can't resisters just get spots

w/ a few thousand candle power and fry the GIs' eyes? Does the gear have some kind of overload circuit? If not, such a tactic used judiciously I would think would tend to equalize the advantage.