Tuesday, February 10, 2009

AP ,Berlin, February 7, 2009 (excerpts) _ German prosecutors said Friday they have charged a businessman with violating export laws for allegedly setting up an unsuccessful deal to sell to Iran material that could have been used for building missiles.
Federal prosecutors accuse the 63-year-old, identified only as Hans-Josef H., of illegally trying to export high-quality graphite and violating international sanctions by attempting to deliver goods to a blacklisted recipient in Iran.
Between June 2005 and June 2007, they said, the man organized a circuitous deal through an unnamed partner in Turkey to deliver the graphite to Iran. The graphite was listed as being of a lower quality.
Graphite has many peaceful uses, including steel manufacture, but also can be used as a casing for molten weapons-grade uranium to fit it to nuclear warheads or to shield the cones of conventional missiles from heat.