The founder of a US think tank, Gal Luft, has been charged with acting as an agent of China and attempting to facilitate the sale of weapons and Iranian oil. Federal prosecutors allege that Luft
covertly recruited and paid an unnamed former US official to publicly support specific Chinese policies. The 57-year-old is accused of brokering arms sales involving customers in China, Libya, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kenya.
Luft, who holds dual US and Israeli citizenship, is now considered a fugitive, according to federal prosecutors in Manhattan. He failed to register as a foreign agent in 2016 while working to advance Chinese interests within the United States. Prosecutors claim that Luft lobbied an ex-US official, who served as an advisor to then President-elect Donald Trump, to publicly endorse certain policies related to China. He allegedly drafted comments on behalf of the same official, which were subsequently published in Chinese media and distributed to American universities.
Luft is the co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, based near Washington, D.C., which focuses on energy and US security. The institute, co-founded by Luft, lists former CIA Director James Woolsey as an advisor on its website.
In addition to the charges related to acting as a Chinese agent, Luft is accused of attempting to broker arms sales without a US permit. He is alleged to have assisted Chinese companies in selling anti-tank launchers, grenade launchers, and mortar rounds to Libya. Furthermore, he purportedly attempted to sell aerial bombs, rockets, and "strike" drones to the UAE and Kenya.
Prosecutors assert that Luft also sought to evade US sanctions on Iranian oil by directing an associate to claim that the oil originated from Brazil.
Luft was arrested in Cyprus on February 17, 2023, on US charges. However, he fled after being released on bail while awaiting extradition. On the following day, a Twitter account in his name, with 15,000 followers, claimed that his arrest in Cyprus was based on a politically motivated extradition request from the US.
Luft faces eight charges, including failure to register as a foreign agent, evading oil sanctions, making false statements to investigators, and illicit arms trafficking. If convicted, he could face significant prison time. Photo by Krokodyl, Wikimedia commons.