A recent case that will come before a US court involves a native of Singapore, detained by authorities in Indonesia, and brought to the US for trial because he was exporting goods used by the Iranians to make bombs in Iraq. This complicated international case talks to several things that are not always obvious. [https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/singapore-man-extradited-united-states-connection-plot-involving-exports-iran-us-components
1. U.S. Goods purchased by almost anyone can be used against us and our allies if that person lies about how and where the goods are being exported. These are a lot like dual use technologies that pretend to be useful for one purpose but are sold with the understanding that they will be used in ways they were not designed for. Some of the best law enforcement tools in information systems can be used by governments to spy on their own people, and they regularly are.
2. Iran really does make the IEDs that are packed into holes in the ground in Iraq and used to kill combatants and innocent civilians alike. This is not a trustworthy government. Maybe they will help us arrest some of the people who are exporting this bomb-making material.
3. Law enforcement, with the help of the Intelligence Community, can identify components of bombs and find out where they came from, then locate the exact company that did the export. It is amazing if you think about it. Bomb fragments are tiny and burned, yet can be recovered and turned into a traceable thing. The manufacturer can tell where those things came from and who bought them. Even if it takes forever, that is something we should applaud.
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