Odd Twist To Iran Arms Smuggling Story

It's hard to imagine how an American -- not an American named Mohammed, but one named Robert -- could be so scummy as to try to smuggle batteries for Hawk anti-aircraft missile into Iran. Did he think, even for a moment, that those Hawks could be used against our fighters one day?

But that's hardly the strangest part of the story. First the story:

A US man has been charged with attempting to smuggle anti-aircraft missile parts to Iran through Britain and the Netherlands, court documents showed.

Robert Caldwell of Oregon is accused of acting as the US agent of a British company which tried to smuggle batteries used to power Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to Iran, a criminal complaint said.

The company was in the process of ordering 35 batteries at a cost of 5,000 dollars each from an exporter who was working as an informant for customs officials. The aim was to ship them through Amsterdam and Britain in order to avoid detection.

Caldwell was arrested in a sting in San Antonio last week before the batteries could be shipped out of the United States. The complaint indicated Brooklands Freight Services had been smuggling arms to the Middle East for some time. (Source)

Now to the odd. Brooklands does more than smuggle arms -- it also helps missionaries with their international moves through its Teachers Freight Service:

International Teachers' Freight Service (I.T.F.S) was established to help teachers and missionaries move from one country to another with as few logistical problems as possible. I.T.F.S was formed in a partnership between Brooklands International Freight, Mission Supplies, and 4-Schools.com, all experts in their field. Brooklands International have many years of experience in the freight forwarding industry, Mission Supplies deal with supplying overseas aid organisations and missionaries.

Maybe it's more than just making a buck any way they can? Maybe it's more.

Maybe they're balancing out helping Islamism with helping out Christianity.

Related Tags: Iran, War on Terror, Brooklands