RUSSIA: Russia and the US yesterday hailed the operation that caught a suspected British arms dealer as a landmark in co-operation between the former Cold War foes, and as a warning shot at international terrorists.
Britain's secret services also worked with their Russian and US counterparts to lure the Briton to a New Jersey hotel, where he tried to sell what he thought was a Russian surface-to-air missile to men he believed were Islamic extremists bent on shooting down an airliner.
But when the trap was sprung, Mr Hemant Lakhani (68) found he had been caught trying to sell a disarmed rocket to undercover FBI agents, who took him and two associates into custody.
"This action marks a new stage in the development of co-operation between the special services of these countries," said Mr Sergei Ignatchenko, a spokesman for Russia's FSB domestic security service.
Mr Lakhani appeared in a Newark court yesterday, and was charged with attempting to provide material support and materials to terrorists and acting as an arms broker without a licence.
Mr Moinuddeen Ahmed Hameed was charged with conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Officials said Mr Yehuda Abraham was also due to be charged with money-laundering offences.
"The terrorists who have threatened America lost an ally in their attempts to kill our citizens," US Attorney Mr Christopher J Christie told reporters after the hearing.
He said Mr Lakhani had been a "knowing, willing and anxious participant" in the deal, and knew that he was supplying terrorists.
"He referred to Americans as 'bastards' and Osama bin Laden as a hero who had done something right. He knew full well that the arms deal was attempting to kill American citizens."
He said the missile had been intended to shoot down a commercial jet.
Shortly after the three men were arrested, British police searched Mr Lakhani's home in Hendon, north London, at the request of US authorities. They made no arrests.
The elaborate sting began five months ago in Russia's second city of St Petersburg when the FSB notified the US that Mr Lakhani was scouting around for possible arms deals, Russian media reported.
An undercover FSB agent - posing as a corrupt arms industry executive - struck a deal with the Mr Lakhani to ship an advanced Igla missile to the US.
The deactivated Igla was sent to Baltimore in July, and stored in a warehouse under the guise of medical equipment, before being sent to Newark, New Jersey.
Mr Lakhani arrived there with his wife from London last Sunday to complete a cash transaction reported to be worth $85,000.
The evidence against Mr Lakhani is said to include hours of audio and video tape of him discussing plans for the missile sale, speaking favourably of Osama bin-Laden and calling the September 11th attacks "a good thing".
Mr Lakhani is not suspected of involvement with Islamic extremist groups.
Commenting on the sting operation President George Bush said the arrests underscored US efforts to improve airport security. "Our homeland security is focused on airport security . . . America is a safe place for people to fly," Mr Bush told reporters at his Texas ranch.
The Igla is a more advanced version of the Russian Strela missiles that al-Qaeda fired at an Israeli airliner taking off from Mombasa airport in Kenya last year. In May 2002, terrorists fired a Strela at a US military plane taking off from a Saudi base. Both attacks missed their targets, but raised US awareness of the danger posed to air traffic by portable and relatively cheap ex-Soviet missile systems.
