Arms Sales

The Navy admiral poised to become the U.S. military's top officer reiterated Tuesday that the U.S. would not support a push for independence by Taiwan, but added that Washington would continue to urge the government in Taipei to acquire defensive weapons to hedge against an attack by Beijing. At the end of a five-day trip to China, Adm. Michael G.

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin on Thursday promised more than $1 billion in advanced weapons to Indonesia and pressed for closer military and economic ties to this longtime U.S. ally in Southeast Asia. Putin, the first Russian leader to visit Indonesia since former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev did so in the 1950s, agreed to provide two Kilo-class submarines, 20 amphibious tanks and 22 passenger and attack helicopters.

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has secured a pledge from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to help cut off weapons, funding and other support to extremist militiamen in Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Saturday. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said there were signs of a slight drop in the types of attacks associated with Shiite militants since the deal was reached in August, and he raised the possibility that U.S.

A Chinese national living in Connecticut has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of attempting to purchase restricted military hardware for shipment to China, officials said Thursday. Qing Li, 39, was attempting to buy devices that can increase the impact of bombs and missiles, according to U.S. Atty. Karen P. Hewitt. Li and an unindicted co-conspirator were in contact with an undercover agent for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, prosecutors said.

A man pleaded guilty in Camden to conspiring to provide weapons to a group of men accused of plotting an attack on soldiers at Ft. Dix. Agron Abdullahu, 25, faces up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced Feb. 6. Federal prosecutors have portrayed him as having the smallest role among the six men arrested in May in the case. The others are charged with conspiring to kill military personnel.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived in China on Sunday, intending to question top Chinese officials about the purpose of their military buildup and pressure them to stop providing arms to Iran. Pentagon officials have accused China of supplying missile technology to Iran. They have also suggested that more mundane conventional arms designed or built by China have been smuggled by Iran into Iraq and Afghanistan. Chinese officials are well aware of U.S.

Russia's lower house of parliament voted unanimously to suspend a key arms treaty limiting conventional forces in Europe, saying the United States and NATO were using the pact to undermine Russia's defenses. Ignoring appeals from the United States, the State Duma approved a law allowing Moscow to halt compliance with the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, seen by the West as a cornerstone of European security. The suspension will take effect Dec. 12.

Iranian officials said Wednesday that they had signed a contract to buy an advanced Russian antiaircraft system, a move that could complicate any plans for an attack by U.S. or Israeli warplanes. The sale to Tehran of powerful air defense technology would also be a new source of friction between the Bush administration and the government of Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. U.S. officials harshly criticized Russia for a missile sale to Iran completed in January.

India has halted all arms sales and transfers to Myanmar, a development that could increase international pressure on the military government that crushed pro-democracy protests led by monks this fall. The Indian government's decision has not been officially announced, but diplomatic sources said it had been privately confirmed by New Delhi to top U.S. officials. A spokesman for the Indian Embassy in Washington declined to comment.

SINGAPORE -- Stayne Hoff was stuck in a corner booth at the Singapore air show, but his tiny, unmanned spy planes attracted plenty of traffic. His Simi Valley firm, AV Inc., was a popular stop because its remote-controlled planes were on display. The Raven, a model with a 5-foot wingspan, weighs just 4 pounds yet is equipped with an infrared camera and can transmit live images from six miles away. The $35,000 aircraft is used by the U.S.