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I'm going to introduce Dimitri Khalezov.
He is a former officer in the Defense Ministry of the former USSR.
He presents his book to the world today.
And he presents it with two credentials.
Firstly, he was a technician in the field of nuclear munitions.
Secondly, he is acknowledged apparently by the FBI as a material witness.
Dimitri, tell us something about yourself.
Good morning, OK.
I was a commissioned officer of the 12th Chief Directorate
of the Defence Ministry of the Soviet Union.
And the 12th Chief Directorate was an organization
that was responsible in the Soviet Union for nuclear testing
and technical maintenance of the entire nuclear arsenal of the state.
From where I got some experience
in regard to nuclear munitions,
as well as certain knowledge concerning the nuclear demolition
of the World Trade Center in New York.
Well let's come to that Dimitri, do you have anything to identify yourself
as an officer in that Directorate?
Unfortunately, I'm not at my home in Russia now.
And most of the documents are at my home.
I might have a few.
One of my photographs, the color photograph in the military uniform is in the book.
I have another couple of photographs.
This is you in the uniform of 12th Directorate.
OK, let me explain it to you.
You know, the 12th Chief Directorate,
because it's considered to be a nuclear arsenal of the state.
They usually wore gunnery uniform, like artillery uniform, as being arsenal.
But I used to serve in some smaller department of the 12th Chief Directorate
which they call Special Control Service, otherwise as nuclear intelligence.
And in that particular department they wear aviation uniform.
That's why my uniform is like a pilot uniform.
You know that was tradition from the beginning of this service.
Because the first nuclear explosions, the first nuclear tests were in atmosphere.
That's why the Control Service use airborn flying laboratories,
based on some cargo planes,
to fly and to collect data from atmospheric nuclear explosions.
Since then they have the tradition of wearing the aviation uniform.
So, when the nuclear testing moved underground,
they no longer need to use the flying laboratories.
Because they use some other means like seismic control.
But the uniform still remains,
that's why it's an aviation uniform.
But it does not mean that I'm a pilot.
So this was a highly specialized unit.
Yes, it's not actually a unit, it's quite a big orgnization
which has a lot of military units of its own.
It's like a network.
Within that unit, what was your job?
When I was studying the military college.
I was released as a communication engineer.
And I was appointed as an officer within the 12th Chief Directorate first
and then transfered to the Special Control Service,
where I used to serve about 5 years.
And my positon was a chief of shift,
which was responsible for receiving and collecting data
from the peripheral laboratories concerning nuclear explosions.
And my duty was just to... how to say
I was like a chief of the shift.
And my duty was to collect the things
and to pass it to the operational officers, and to superiors.
That's a very responsible position.
Yes, very responsible position.
Because all the--how to say--
recognition of the nuclear test of the enemy
of the USSR actually come through my hands.
I was the chief.
I understand.
Where were you born, let's talk about your early time.
I was born in some small city near Moscow, about 40 kilometers from Moscow,
name Golitsyno.
This city still exists.
And when did you leave the service.
Present time? I live in Bangkok, Thailand.
No No, when did you leave the service of the Soviet...
Ah, I quited the military service at 1992,
at the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
So means about the time when the Soviet Army ceased to exist,
And it was recreated as a Russian Army or a Ukrainian Army, whatever other armies.
At that time, I just decided to quit the military service, whatsoever.
Understood.
During that 5 years in that special unit,
you interfacing both with technicians exploding nuclear devices underground
and you interfacing with senior officers
with the data from those test. Is that right?
Yes, Because the 12th Chief Directorate was the organization
primarily responsible for nuclear testing of the Soviet Union,
I knew a lot of officer ???(who were connected with) that
I was friendly with many of them.
And because I serve in particularly the Soviet nuclear intelligence,
which was responsible for detecting nuclear explosions
of the various adversaries of the Soviet Union.
I also have experience of the nuclear testing of the others.
And is this your official...?
Yes, that's one of the very few military documents that I managed to keep with me.
As a... in here I am still young,
and it was from the military college, one of the documents.
Understood, thank you.
You describe yourself in your book as a big fish in the story of September 11th.
I believe that it's clear in the book that the chart that you exhibit
puts you on the same page as some very dangerous figures.
Understand, you mean this one?
Yes.
Well. Take us through the chart.
You know, it would not be decent probably to say that I'm a big fish, I'm not.
But the American FBI believes so, so this definition does not come from me. OK.
It comes from the Americans. OK.
So, as you can see in this chart
the Americans put me in the same line with notorious terrorists,
the 911 hijackers, the 2002 Bali bombers like Mr. Hambali,
with Mr. Hani Hammoer who is accused of
supplying the passports for the 911 hijackers.
even with a certain Dr. Hadji Muhammed Husseini
As you can see that I'm next to him in the same row.
Who in the opinion of the Americans is the biggest fish in this network.
And this document was prepared by the FBI for the Thai authorities?
Yes, because the Americans attempted to
obtain my extradition to America from Thailand in 2003. Yes.
And this document--this one--it was prepared by the FBI for their Thai colleagues.
You were arrested and charged with supplying a passport.
Well, yes, I was arrested
for the extradition request of the United States primarily. Right.
But because something was not ready
with the official package of the documents related to extradition.
They have to accuse me of something else, just for the meantime to win the time. Right.
So they accused me of
supplying the fake passport for Mr. Hambali, the chief Bali bomber,
and the chief of Jemaah Islamiyah organization.
That's the charge you have always denied.
Yes, of course.
You've never been convicted of any of those? No.