US firm accused of aiding India weapons programmes

[OhioChick]

Source: Economic Times-India

< TUESDAY, APRIL 03, 2007 04:00:33 PM>

WASHINGTON: Parthasarathy Sudarshan, the founder of Cirrus Electronics, an electronics supply company, has been charged with shipping closely guarded US computer technology to India for use in missiles and other weapon systems.

According to federal prosecutors, he ordered computer equipment from US manufacturers using falsified documents about their destination. The parts were allegedly shipped to India through Cirrus offices in South Carolina and Singapore.

Prosecutors say that between 2003 and 2006, Sudarshan was buying the equipment for three Indian government agencies: the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, which researches spacecraft and ballistic missiles, Bharat Dynamics Ltd, a key agency in the nation's guided missile programme, and the Aeronautical Development Establishment, which is developing the Tejas combat jet. The US Commerce Department restricts exports to these agencies.

The equipment included heat-resistant memory chips, microprocessors, capacitors and semiconductors used in missile guidance systems and firing systems, according to a federal indictment unsealed recently.


Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshowcnews/1852567.cms

[OhioChick]

1. Missile tech export: US sees no connection with N-deal

Washington, Apr 04: The United States has said the arrest of two Indians and indictment of two of their compatriots on charges of allegedly exporting sensitive missile technology to India will have no bearing on the nuclear deal with New Delhi.

"The arrest of individuals is indeed a serious matter," State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing but also made the point that it will not impact the ongoing negotiations over the so-called 123 agreement.

"I don't see any connection between these two things. I would expect that the Indian government will continue to negotiate the so-called 1-2-3 agreement in good faith. Certainly, the United States will," he said in response to a query.

The indictment slapped charges against Parthasarathy Sudarshan-led electronics firm, Cirrus Inc, operating in Singapore, South Carolina and Bangalore, for allegedly working as an agent of the Indian government to obtain sensitive missile and weapons technology for its military programmes.

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=363863&sid=NAT&ssid=

[Eugene]

2. US links Indian government in weapons conspiracy

Source: Agence France-Presse

US links Indian government in weapons conspiracy

by P. Parameswaran
Tue Apr 3, 11:41 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - An Indian top executive at a US firm was charged
Tuesday with shipping restricted weapons technology to the Indian
government in a case that could put a pending bilateral nuclear deal
under extra congressional scrutiny.

-snip-

Indian government officials were linked to the alleged scam, according
to the indictment. Reports quoting the FBI said one of them was an
official posted at the Indian embassy in the United States.

An official in US President George W. Bush's administration said the case
could undermine Congressional support for nuclear and space cooperation
with India, the Washington Times reported Tuesday.

But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said although the case
was a "serious matter," he did not see "any connection" with a landmark
bilateral civilian nuclear agreement that Bush signed into law in December.

-snip-

American officials have often cited India's "clean" non-proliferation record
to market the pact among legislators.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070404/ts_afp/usindiamilitaryweaponsit_070404020645