WASHINGTON – Moving to close what officials say is a gaping hole in the U.S. national-security safety net, the Justice Department will announce today the creation of special task forces to prevent unfriendly nations such as Iran from illegally obtaining U.S.-made parts and technology for their military and fledgling nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs.
The National Counter-Proliferation Initiative aims to crack down on the black market networks that clandestinely provide American hardware and software to numerous nations and possibly terrorist organizations as well.
The new task forces, modeled on a pilot project in New York City, will have specially trained prosecutors coordinate “export violation” investigations within their districts and ensure that they are a top priority, senior Justice Department officials said in interviews.
Los Angeles Times
