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(S//SI//REL) Economic Reporting Strives to Interdict the Flow of
'Improvised Explosive Device' Components
FROM:
Arms and Technology Transfer Branch (S2G21)
Run Date: 05/16/2006
(S//SI//REL) SID's economic reporting may help cut off the flow of explosive devices that
threaten US and Coalition troops.
(S//SI//REL) Historically, economic intelligence was seen as a strategic target, providing only a
programmatic view of an issue; however, in today's asymmetric battle space, in which our
enemies use commercially available technologies, economic intelligence is a valuable tool in
saving lives on the battlefield.
(S//SI//REL) One good example of this is the contribution SIGINT has made towards stopping
the cross-border transfer of parts that could be used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
NSA economic reporting identified Iranian-controlled front companies operating in the United
Arab Emirates that import American-made, dual-use, microprocessors from the global
integrated circuit market and subsequently export these microprocessors to customers in Iran
and Syria, in violation of U.S. export laws. These dual-use microprocessors have been used or
are capable of being used in IEDs.
(S//SI//REL) Based on this reporting, Undersecretary of Defense Cambone requested via a
formal memo that Under Secretary of Commerce McCormick issue a general order to protect
U.S. troops operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Mr. McCormick complied. The general order
prohibits businesses from exporting specified commodities and technologies without an official
export license.
(S//SI//REL) The general order issued by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and
Security uses NSA-supplied data that specifies persons, companies and pertinent addresses of
entities connected to the purchase and subsequent transfer of IED-capable electronic
components to Iran and Syria. Implementation and enforcement of this order will mitigate the
flow of dual-use technologies to the enemy, ultimately saving American and coalition lives.
(U) A US Marine Corps technician prepares to deploy a device that will detonate a buried IED
near Camp Fallujah in western Iraq (Reuters)
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108