And If You Sign Up By The End Of The Month You’ll Receive Al Manar2, Al Manar Family, Al Manar Comedy And Al Manar Latino

I don’t know which is more freaky — that the feds conduct covert aerial surveillance over New York City or that there is a market here for Hezbollah’s satellite television station:

A Staten Island man has been charged with aiding terrorists — by using his Brooklyn business to give local viewers a satellite hookup to a Lebanese TV station operated by Hezbollah.

Javed Iqbal, 42, was busted early Wednesday after authorities flew covert helicopter missions over his home and business to check out his electronic equipment and set up a complicated sting involving a bogus customer.

He was charged with conspiring to do business with a global terror organization, which is punishable by up to five years in jail. Prosecutors said the charges could be upgraded to providing material support for terrorists, which carries up to 15 years.

His lawyer, Mustapha Ndanusa, said his client is no terrorist, just “a small-time satellite receiver and dish network distributor.”

. . .

The Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office says Iqbal, who was also known by the first name John, obtained a Federal Communications Commission license in January 2005 to broadcast satellite TV.

Last February a confidential source told the feds that Iqbal was selling access to broadcasts of Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV through his business, HDTV Ltd., at 6805 and 6809 Fort Hamilton Parkway in Brooklyn.

. . .

In June, a “wired” FBI informant walked into Iqbal’s Brooklyn office, asking to be hooked up to the “DISH network.”

The informant explained he was Lebanese and wanted to watch the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, which transmits secular or Christian shows. Iqbal asked if he was “Lebanese Christian” and when the informant said no, he asked, “Why don’t you watch Al Manar?” court papers say.

He described different service packages that would allow the customer to receive Al Manar and other Arab networks, including Al-Jazeera.

Court papers also say Iqbal falsely told the customer that Al Manar broadcasts were legal in the United States — and a month later changed his sales pitch to say they would soon be legal.