Clinton export policy helped India hide the bomb

August 4, 1998

New documents from the files of Ron Brown reveal that secure
satellite communications systems, super-computers and even
turbine engines for the most advanced U.S. ARMY helicopters were
sold to India. The documents provide detailed information on
advanced U.S. military technology sold during the 1994 Brown
trade mission to India. The newly released information was
obtained from the U.S. Commerce Department using the Freedom of
Information Act.

The January 1995 Commerce Dept. document, titled “OGC (Office of
the General Counsel) Summary of India Trade Mission
Deliverables” provides information on advanced technology sales
to India. In 1994, the U.S. Commerce Department authorized
Allied Signal — Allison Engine Company — to sell T800 Comanche
turbine engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) for a mere
$35 million dollars. The turbine engines were slated for
India’s Advanced Light Helicopter.

The U.S. Army did not get the T800 until two years AFTER the
engine was exported to India. The T800 engine was developed by
Allison specifically for the U.S. Army RAH-66 Comanche, a next
generation attack and reconnaissance helicopter. The first T800
equipped Comanche began testing for the Army in 1996. The first
operational U.S. Comanches are not scheduled for deployment
until the next century. In fact, the Allison T800 engine is not
scheduled to complete U.S. Army qualifications until 1999.

Furthermore, advanced U.S. telecommunications helped India
conceal the 1998 A-bomb tests from the prying eyes of U.S.
intelligence. In 1995, a previous attempt by India to conduct
secret A-bomb tests was detected by U.S. monitoring of Asian
phone lines. State Dept. officials quietly convinced India to
cancel the 1995 tests.

In 1998, however, India successfully used advanced satellite
communications purchased through the Brown Commerce Department
with encryption security to mask their A-bomb activity. CIA
officials were blocked from listening in on Indian A-bomb
preparations and were caught unaware by the blasts.

For example, one secure communications sale to India included a
large number of HUGHES built “VSAT” Very Small Aperture Terminal
(VSAT) network satellite systems. In 1997, the U.S. Naval
Research Lab completed the first in a series of tests for the
U.S. military using similar VSAT systems to show the feasibility
of networking with submarines. The Navy tests relayed high
speed signals through various satellites including Orion-1, GE
Americomm, Telstar 402R, and Hughes. The Navy tests provided
both secure (via link layer encryption) and non-secure high
speed communications.

Ironically, the U.S. Navy will not acquire VSAT until well into
the next century. Future U.S. Navy plans include deployment of
the VSAT system on a ship at sea. Seaborne VSATs will give
Indian submarines, and smaller surface combatants that do not
have space for larger satellite systems, real-time
communications. India now has a modern military command system
comparable with the Pentagon’s “Challenge Athena,” a world-wide
Pentagon command information network which uses satellites.

Other examples of advanced communications equipment sold to
India include secure GSM cellular and radio systems sold by
Motorola, secure wireless CDMA technology sold by Loral and
encrypted secure video technology.

Furthermore, yet another export to India was for a $7 million
dollar high speed computer from Tandem Corp., now part of
Digital Electronics (DEC). The General Accounting Office, in a
July 1998 audit (not yet made public), has questioned a 1996
decision by the Clinton administration to relax export controls
on these powerful super-computers. The GAO found that India
procured 19 super-computers from the U.S. The Commerce Dept.,
according to the GAO, cannot track nor determine with any
accuracy where these computers are now or what they are being
used for.

Another scandal revealed by the new documents from the files of
Ron Brown shows that Roger Tamraz was inside the Clinton
administration as early as 1994 — two years before he met Bill
Clinton in the White House. Tamraz, a Lebanese oil financier,
was then wanted by Interpol for embezzling nearly $80 million
dollars from a middle eastern bank. Tamraz would later give
over $300,000 to the DNC via his links to the Clinton
administration.

In 1994 Tamraz was authorized by Bill Clinton to travel with Ron
Brown on the Presidential Business development mission to
Russia. Newly declassified documents show that administration
officials arranged a series of meetings between Tamraz and
Russian energy officials from the GAZPROM bureau. The document,
a unclassified March 1994 telegram to U.S. Commerce
representatives in Russia, orders them to arrange meetings
between Tamraz and the Russian First Deputy Minister of Fuels
and Energy.

Two years later, in April 1996, Tamraz used his influence with
DNC head Don Fowler, and sought CIA help to get into the White
House. National Security Council (NSC) staffers backed off from
allowing Tamraz to meet the President because of his outstanding
Interpol warrant on the fraud charges. DNC head Fowler went
over the NSC, using a CIA connection known only as “Bob”. CIA
agent “Bob” called NSC staffer Shelia Heslin, pressing her to
allow Tamraz to visit the President. At one point, according to
sobbing testimony from Ms. Heslin, CIA agent “Bob” told her “not
to be such a girl scout.”

In the end Tamraz got his meeting and managed to donate over
$300,000 in total to the DNC. Tamraz met with Clinton six
times, including a long coffee session in April, 1996. When
asked by a Senator if he would do it again, Tamraz replied that
he would “donate $600,000” next time.

Another Brown document for the Russian trip, dated February
1994, lists Tamraz along with CEO’s from Tenneco, Texaco, ARCO,
Enron, Conoco, AT&T, Motorola, and Silicon Graphics. In 1994,
Silicon Graphics, along with Tandem and several other major
computer companies, hired Tony Podesta to lobby for them. Tony
Podesta is the brother of John Podesta, Assistant to the
President and Staff Secretary for Bill Clinton.

In 1994, John Podesta was also in charge of Clinton computer
technology export policies such as high speed systems and
encryption. In 1994, Tandem, Silicon Graphics and even Cray
Super-Computers were all suddenly authorized to travel with Ron
Brown to Russia, India, China and other points on the globe.

In 1995, during John Podesta’s employ at the White House, a
lobbyist from Tony Podesta’s company attended a secret meeting
at the White House on super-computer exports. The group of
computer companies then represented by Podesta have already
admitted in writing they attended “classified” briefings held by
the Clinton administration. Today, John Podesta is rumored to
be seeking the job of Erskine Bowles as Chief of Staff.

In 1997 the GAO wrote a report on what Silicon Graphics
exported. “Silicon Graphics sold four computers to
Chelyabinsk-70 in the fall of 1996 for $650,000,” states the
1997 GAO report on super-computer exports. Chelyabinsk-70 is
well known as a major Russian nuclear weapons lab.

Additionally, a distributor in Europe also sold an IBM computer
for $7 million to MINATOM — the Russian Ministry of Atomics.
MINATOM officials said the computers would be used to simulate
nuclear weapons tests. IBM pled guilty in July 1998 to the
illegal export of a super-computer for the Russian weapons labs.
IBM was fined $8.5 million dollars.

In January 1998, the Russians revealed their first nuclear
weapon designed with the assistance of U.S. super-computers.
The 550 kiloton warhead is now being deployed on the newest
Russian ICBM, the SS-27 TOPOL-M.

It is certain the exported super-computers are now being used by
countries such as Russia and India to design nuclear weapons.
Previous Presidents rarely included military-rated technology
under U.S. Commerce trade missions. Yet, the evidence shows
that the Clinton administration regularly sold advanced military
technology through the Commerce Department. In some cases, such
as the Comanche engines, Bill Clinton authorized the export of
military technology before the U.S. military can even field it.

The Brown trade missions were also clearly tied to kick backs.
The clear connection between major DNC donors, pay-off scams,
and invitations to participate in tax payer financed deals are
documented by statements from many of the participants under
oath and the written evidence as provided by the Clinton
administration.

Furthermore, the CIA concentration on Roger Tamraz is
overshadowed by the Podesta brothers and the export of U.S.
super-computers for nuclear weapons research. Clearly, the CIA
was more worried about Bill Clinton detecting Roger Tamraz and
his checkbook than detecting Indian or Russian A-bomb activity.

The fallout from the Clinton campaign scandal has already
extended beyond the beltway, and spilled over into state
politics. The price of admission to the White House was
diverted into the Virginia Democratic party to avoid Federal
election laws. Tamraz gave a combined $177,000 to the Virginia
Democratic party in October of 1995. The “tainted” money had to
be returned by the Virginia Democrats on the eve of the 1997
campaign for Governor. In 1997, the shortage of cash and the
link to Clinton scandals helped to defeat Virginia Democrats in
the most one-sided Republican victory since Appomattox.

Charles Smith

Charles R. Smith is a noted investigative journalist. For over 20 years, Smith has covered areas of national security and information warfare. He frequently appears on national television for the Fox network and is a popular guest on radio shows all over America. Read more of Charles Smith's articles here.

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