Iran:  Japanese Authorities Arrest Five for Selling Missile Equipment

Japanese authorities today arrested five employees of Seishin Enterprise Co., including the company’s president, for allegedly exporting equipment to Iran that could be used to produce ballistic missiles, according to the Associated Press (see GSN, Feb. 6).

Seishin Enterprise is believed to have sold two industrial grinders, which can be used to produce solid missile fuel, to Iran in 1999 and 2000 without an export license, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police spokesman said.  The export of the grinders is restricted under the Missile Technology Control Regime, police said.  The five Seishin employees could face up to five years in prison if convicted of conspiring to violate Japan’s Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law, a police official said (Associated Press/Kansas City Star, June 12).

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U.S. Response:  New Regulations Ignite Complaints From Model Rocketeers

U.S model-rocket hobbyists are angered over new U.S. homeland security regulations that require a background check and permit to purchase certain types of model engines, which are feared to be attractive to terrorists seeking to build bombs, the Associated Press reported today.

Under the regulations, which took effect last month, anyone purchasing or handling rocket engines that contain more than 2 1/4 ounces of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant are required to first obtain a permit.  Permit applicants must agree to have their storage areas inspected every three years, according to AP.

People have been required to obtain permits for years to transport ammonium perchlorate composite propellant across stateliness, said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesman Andrew Lluberes.  He added that 90 percent of rocket engines used by model-rocket hobbyists were smaller than those being regulated.

“This is nowhere near the onerous regulation or situation that it’s being painted out to be,” Lluberes said.

Model rocket fans, however, do not believe that the engine propellant would be of much use to potential terrorists, AP reported.

“I can walk down to the local gun store and buy a case of bullets and have immensely more power than one of these rockets,” said Randy Kastl, manager of the Hobby Shop in Dayton, Ohio, which discontinued its line of high-powered rockets because of the new regulations (James Hannah, Associated Press/Philadelphia Inquirer, June 12).

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China:  Chinese Company Denies Missile Exports

A Chinese company yesterday denied that it had aided Iran’s ballistic missile program — a claim made last month by the United States that resulted in U.S. sanctions (see GSN, May 27).

The sanctions, which took effect May 9, prohibit the North China Industries Corporation (Norinco) from entering into contracts with the United States or importing goods into the country for two years.  In addition, the U.S. State Department has suspended all defense-related export licenses for the company.

“The sanctions imposed on Norinco by the U.S. administration are completely groundless and unjustified,” the company said in a statement.  “We have never assisted any country in developing such missiles.  In fact, we do not have such technological capabilities,” it said.

In its statement, the Chinese company also demanded that the United States “immediately lift the sanctions against Norinco and its subsidiaries (Associated Press/Baltimore Sun, June 6).

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