International News
U.S. court indicts Israeli suspected of arms trade with Somaliland
June 28, 2010 · 23 Comments
BURAO (Somalilandpress) — Florida prosecutors suspect Hanoch Miller attempted to bypass a UN resolution and U.S. law, both of which have an embargo on weapons trade with Somalia.
A United States court last week indicted an Israeli man suspected of attempting to obtain assault weapons and sell them to the government in Somalia.
According to the indictment filed at a district court in Florida, the suspect, Hanoch Miller, and several others attempted to bypass a United Nations Security Council resolution and U.S. law, both of which have an embargo on weapons trade with Somalia.
The south Florida district attorney charged that Hanoch conspired with associates, who are not mentioned by name, in the U.S. and Israel to sell AK-47 assault rifles to clients in Somalia.
According to the indictment, Miller provided a falsified end user certificate that was meant to show the weapons were destined for the Republic of Chad, a country with which weapons trade is legal.
The suspects also allegedly attempted to hire planes from Bosnia to transport the weapons to Somalia.
The weapons were intended for the government in Somaliland, which is regarded internationally as an autonomous region in Somalia that has been run by a secessionist government since the 1990s.
Several months ago, Israeli officials said the government may consider recognizing Somaliland’s independence and establishing diplomatic ties with it. However, Yigal Palmor, a Foreign Ministry official, told Haaretz that was an unofficial announcement that does not represent Israeli government policy.
Hanoch Miller is a 53-year-old resident of Yehud in central Israel and an aeronautics engineer who served in an airplane design unit in the Israel Air Force.
After his discharge in the 1980s, Miller started Radom Aviation with two business partners and was considered a solitary contractor that worked both with the Israel Aerospace Industries and other defense industries.
More than three years ago, Miller sold his share in the company and became an independent consultant that worked, according to his friends, in the field of electronic weapons and night vision equipment.
The alleged weapons were destined for the Somali government, with which Israel has recently declared a willingness to establish diplomatic ties.
By Yossi Melman and Barak Ravid
Source: Haaretz | Monday, 28 June 2010
Email this story
By Mo Guled
Tags: arms deal, florida, Hanoch Miller, Israel, Somalia, Somaliland, United States
Readers Comments (23)
Somaliland
Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship
Overpowering Gratitude Vs Vexing Misgivings By Ahmed I. Hassan Author’s Note: This is the chapter on Somaliland-Ethiopia Relationship in a book titled “Somaliland: The Legacies of Non-Recognition” which ...
SOMALIA: Turkish Airlines diverts to Nairobi after security scare in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU — A carrier operated by Turkish Airlines left its Somali passengers stranded in the wrong airport after landing in Kenya rather than their intended ...
UN envoy in Somalia concerned over violent clashes in Hargeisa
Photo: Special Representative Augustine Mahiga (UN Photo/Stuart Price) NAIROBI — The United Nations envoy in Somalia, Augustine P. Mahiga, today expressed concern over recent violent clashes ...
SOMALILAND: President urges citizens to uphold peace and stability
HARGEISA — The Somaliland National Independence day celebrations that was widely marked within and outside the country, had an added flavor when the State House grounds witnessed ...
SOMALILAND: Two Journalists join two others in prison
HARGEISA — Mohamed Abdi Omar and Khadar Farah Hussein, managing editor and reporter/cameraman, respectively, with the newspaper Yool newspaper, became the latest number of journalists ...
Your Say
Why not recognize independent Somaliland?
OPINION | MAY 22, 2012 By Ali Mohamed Twenty-one years ago this month, Somaliland was reborn when the tyrannical regime of Siad Barre collapsed. Since then, the ...
- Somaliland National day – for the sake of a decent life and principle of the future
- Somaliland media: Spreading the word
- SOMALILAND: Where is the Justice in our Justice System?
- Unionist are Dead — Long Live SOMALILAND
- Apprehending Ratco Mladic: a reminder of a war criminal working as jury
- Dr Jowhar: We lost a friend, a Hero
- GEESI LOO HANWEYNAA – A tribute to my hero Dr. Jowhar
- 10 Years after Timor’s Independence, Where Is the Justice?
- Why Hiil Qaran Party Will Not Have a Significant Impact on the Politics of Somalia
- Sunday 20 May: Join in Commemorating late Dr Jowhar
Dr. Abdishakur Jowhar-Franz Fanon of the Somali People
“He lit up a room. If you can imagine the sun, his face was like the sun, that smile, the arm around your shoulder. He ...
Somalia: Federalism, Division and The Dual Track Policy
OPINION | MAY 20, 2012 Photo: Alternative to federalism and Somaliland/Somalia ideology – the three branch Somalia (three branches of government in three different parts of ...
I wonder if Rayale and his admin. got their US$120,000 back. The Israeli ripped them off, I think its more than Ak-47s, who pays that much money for cheap Ak-47s from Bosnia?
Rayale and this Israeli are both stupid, why didnt they bring it by plane via Ethiopia and say it was for Ethiopia then just transport it across the border by trucks.
RESPECT MAN RESPECT
This is a baseless propaganda. These people can’t even differentiate between Somaliland and Somalia.
Somebody trying to discredit Somaliland, this is a
mercenary lying his way out of the situation. But
the title is incorrect, all other media say "Somalia"
instead "Somaliland", except on 'somaliaonline' and
'somalilife', just wanted to draw your attention Somaliland
Press.
Somaliland has the right to purchase whatever it likes, it has maintained peace and its people enjoy freedom and democracy. So this case has no damages to Somaliland, yes to Somalia since its lawless and they have child soldiers.
And yet you disregard somalis striving for peace, you are a lowlife mischievous character that needs a lesson in history after taking somaliland out of your a-hole. the truth is, you have indirectly witnessed how, and what americans think about somaliland or should I say somalia, and yet you try and shift the blame on child soildiers? why cant you blame the ethiopian goverment for bringing backstabbing games to africa? coward of a man! every somali kid knows what I know and if he grabs a gun then the blame is on ethiopia!
This is totally false news. You can’t get Haaretz
somaliland press if you copy and pasting a story do in full not edit one see here full story link. http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0610/Isr…
This is propaganda to downgrade Somaliland election results by Somalis who dont like Somaliland.. They are trying to show that Somaliland is illegal as Israel, and show the Arab world that Somaliland is Isreal as they usually used to say.
This article deserves no comments, dismissed in its entirety.
chhers folks.
This article deserves no comments, dismissed as nonsense in its entirety.
Nothing but mischiefous.
Cheers.
hold on a minute ak47 thers enough that as they say bullshhh
It is true check out Haaretz HomePage and searche on somaliland and it’s there.
Or her is the link. http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/u-s-court-indicts-israeli-suspected-of-arms-trade-with-somalia-1.298744#article_comments
I also suspect that this is a smear campaign to damage our international PR and rebutation. Why are we getting this kind of news, while we are enjoying the fruits of our peoples hard work.
I have observed more than 55 internationally known newspapers covering our successful elections.
I think, we should completely ignore such unreliable news. Secondly, if there are anything we plenty of them, it is the AK47. you can find it at every nomad family
there is something fishy about this. I don't think Somaliland government needs to import weapons illegally. Somaliland can get weapons from Ethiopia and even through the US government or Kenya. it is clear that US strategically needs strong Somaliland government. This shipments was heading somewhere else. I suspect to countries and groups that are not pro US government. ONLF, Puntland separatists, even Islamists in the South.weapons flow to Somali and Somalia from neighboring countries and from fake arms dealer in Florida. something else should come out of this when Mr. Miller goes on trail.
I agree, the Israeli newspaper doesnt know Somaliland from Somalia, Somaliland government from Somali government just read:
"The weapons were intended for the government in Somaliland"
"The alleged weapons were destined for the Somali government"
See how confused they are their story is thus baseless.
Bogus news being promoted by faaqaash websites. If anything the weapons were destined for child soldiers fighting for US backed weak Somali interim govt
This is one of the articles u shouldn’t publish SomalilandPress..
It’s full of incorrect statements, and it is unwanted propaganda at this stage.
in Its not okay for a ''legitimate'' governance to get weapons in somalia but america can sneak all the fire-power they want to warlords in the south? ballaaya! The hand that has not given you what we wanted is expecting you to comply with their rules, a shame because south somalis already stuck their middle finger up, when will the average somalilander? weapons aren't hard to find on the international stage but why on earth is he doing business with an Israeli gun trafficker?
He is arrested not because he smuggles arms to "arm embargo Somalia" but because they fear he will smuggle hi-tech weaponary from Israel and U.S. to other regimes who will offer him more $$ than Somalia.
Somaliland doesnt need AK-47s from Bosnia, it can get dozen planes loaded from Ethiopia all for FREE.
Somaliland has to maintain it's security and stability.
I'm sure there are those in the US who will say that any and all arms sales are legitimate, but to smear the sole democratic government in that region is ridiculous and smells of an attempt to export unrest all in the name of selling more tools of killing while using the always fake "right to bare arms" foolishness so well propagandized in the US.
Somaliland Doesn't Need AK-47s. Our Secret Weapon Is Sabaaxad