The EMTRASUR Jumbo jet Saga came to an end...
Ennnh - the closest airport to the flight origin that is:
- On US territory
- 747-capable
- physically remote, not just in km/miles, but also surrounded by swampland and its denizens (snakes and alligators). Avoids protests and general "eyes-on" observation and publicity.
A government op, yes - but Treasury, not so much CIA or "other."
I flew over TNT inbound to MIA, 30 or so years ago. Always wondered what that huge runway, with no other infrastucture to speak of, was doing out in the green water. but you can look it up.
- On US territory
- 747-capable
- physically remote, not just in km/miles, but also surrounded by swampland and its denizens (snakes and alligators). Avoids protests and general "eyes-on" observation and publicity.
A government op, yes - but Treasury, not so much CIA or "other."
I flew over TNT inbound to MIA, 30 or so years ago. Always wondered what that huge runway, with no other infrastucture to speak of, was doing out in the green water. but you can look it up.
It is certainly the case that no-one has to import Boeing (or other US) products, if they don't like the strings attached. But (to use your words) the buyers cannot have it both ways either. Caveat emptor.
I am sure both Iran and Venezuela were (or should have been) well-aware that this aircraft would be "in play" as contraband, under the circumstances of sanctions and other US law. Had either one kept it within their own jurisdiction, the US would not have had any opportunity to re-claim it.
Venezuela made the mistake of sending it into a jurisdiction (Argentina) that is generally speaking (post-dictatorship) a US ally, and was willing to accede to a US diplomatic request for seizure.
BTW - I do understand the UK's own sometimes-strained relations with Argentina, and supported the UK's "re-claiming" of the Falklands by force (as did the US overall) 40 years ago.
Here's a nice piece about TNT from Mentour Pilot:
When stolen goods are returned to their rightful owner they are "recovered", not "re-claimed"...
(no 'like' available here...)Edited to add that some years ago we needed a couple of new P&W T1830's for a venerable C-47 .. these were not permitted to be exported direct from the U.S. as they still had a military designation. 'Fix' was to ship them across the border to Canada, then in the hold of a larger compatriot to their final destination. One then failed after < 100hrs, but that's another story, the point I guess is that some regulations/sanctions/whatever are ineffective (and/or ridiculous) and do nothing but impede and add costs.
FP.
Last edited by First_Principal; 15th Feb 2024 at 18:16.
Making things costly is part of the purpose of sanctions.
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