Another Small Victory in the War on Islamic Terror

A British businessman was convicted in Federal court in Newark, NJ for smuggling a shoulder-launched missile into the US for use by Islamic militants, the AP reports.

Hemant Lakhani, 70, was sentenced to 47 years---life in prison without parole. "This morning, the terrorists who threaten America lost an ally," the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, Christopher Christie said. He also stated that Lakhani had illegally imported a surface-to-air missile and its launcher, "specifically for the purpose of shooting an American commercial airliner out of the sky." Law enforcement related that he had been 'excited and enthusiastic' about the death and destruction that the weapons would cause, and talked "gleefully about bringing America to it's knees" adding that" he said these things, felt these things, and acted on these thingsw. ... No-one can say New Jersey and this country is not a safer place without Hemant Lakhani trotting around the globe trying to broker arms deals," Mr Christie added.

It should be noted that elements of the Patriot Act led directly to the capture and detention of Lakhani. On 10/23/03, Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray briefed the Seante Committee on the Judiciary and credited the information sharing between US domestic, national, and foriegn intelligence services with aiding in the case: "Information sharing, along with close cooperation with Russian law enforcement, also contributed to the capture and indictment in New Jersey of Hemant Lekhani, the arms dealer charged with attempting to sell shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles to terrorists for use against American targets." (http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2003_hr/102103wray.html)

Many kudos and thanks to the sheepdogs who brought this guy down.