Hot Air Headlines » Amazing: “Hundreds” of foreign jihadi suspects … have U.S. criminal records

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WaPo

Amazing: “Hundreds” of foreign jihadi suspects … have U.S. criminal records

“I found the number stunning,” said Frances Fragos Townsend, a security consultant and former assistant to the president for homeland security. “It suggested to me that this was going to give us far greater insight into the relationships between individuals fighting against U.S. forces in the theater and potential U.S. cells or support networks here in the United States.”… The people being fingerprinted had come from the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan. They were mostly in their 20s, Shannon recalled. “One of the things we learned is we were dealing with relatively young guys who were very committed and what they would openly tell you is that when they got out they were going back to jihad,” he said. “They’d already made this commitment.”

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I just pray they all have good lawyers and lots of access to federal courts. Perhaps Obama could side with them as he said he would in his book?

Beagle on July 6, 2008 at 12:28 PM

This is great, and scary. Think of how many they have prevented from entering the US because of this program.

Scary in the fact that so many have tried to enter. I wonder if we detained them, of course reading them their rights first.

I look at it as another Administration victory, that we dont hear about, and the ACLU and their ilk want to stop.

WoosterOh on July 6, 2008 at 12:30 PM

“Stunning”?

Mrs. Townsend, open border opponents have been predicting this for years. You just weren’t listening.

PattyJ on July 6, 2008 at 12:31 PM

Its shows that Jihadism isnt just about kicking the US out of the middle east. It is utimately anti Western and anti US and those that join its ranks have harsh feelings against America.

William Amos on July 6, 2008 at 12:33 PM

Think of how many they have prevented from entering the US because of this program.

You mean re-entering the US.

aengus on July 6, 2008 at 1:34 PM

“Frankly I was surprised that we were getting those kind of hits at all,” recalled Townsend, who left government in January. They identified “a potential vulnerability” to national security the government had not fully appreciated, she said.

The people being fingerprinted had come from the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan. They were mostly in their 20s, Shannon recalled. “One of the things we learned is we were dealing with relatively young guys who were very committed and what they would openly tell you is that when they got out they were going back to jihad,” he said. “They’d already made this commitment.”

article

But how did they get here? Here is one possible explanation.

The article mentioned that many had come to the USA on student visas, which raises the national security issue of Visa overstays.

One of the first men fingerprinted by the FBI team was a fighter who claimed he was in Afghanistan to learn the ancient art of falconry. But a fingerprint check showed that in August 2001 he had been turned away from Orlando International Airport by an immigration official who thought he might overstay his visa. Mohamed al Kahtani would later be named by the Sept. 11 Commission as someone who allegedly had sought to participate in hijackings. He currently is in custody at Guantanamo Bay.

article

I believe the problem of Visa overstays is a serious one. And McCain’s plan of “comprehensive immigration reform” that includes his policy of “pathway to USA citizenship” only serves as more incentive and further encouragement for even more Visa overstays.

We got national security problems in our own backyard.

ColtsFan on July 6, 2008 at 1:40 PM

The article mentioned that many had come to the USA on student visas, which raises the national security issue of Visa overstays.
ColtsFan

My bad. Wrong html link.

Let us try again:

“which raises the national security issue of
Visa overstays.

ColtsFan on July 6, 2008 at 1:54 PM

The higher ed business is responsible for most of the laxity in student visas. They have lobbied for open access to (tuition-paying) students from any country, including terrorist countries, since September 12th.

PattyJ on July 6, 2008 at 2:24 PM

I wonder how many turned up with a status of “Awaiting Deportation” or something….

darkpixel on July 6, 2008 at 2:44 PM

How many were also registered democrats?

roninacreage on July 6, 2008 at 2:47 PM

Ok, in the picture the Iraqi is getting his finger prints (plural) taken. . . why they gotta use the middle finger for the article?

- The Cat

MirCat on July 6, 2008 at 4:08 PM

The people being fingerprinted had come from the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.

RAAAAACIST! PROOOOFILING HAAAAAATE CRIME!

Tony737 on July 6, 2008 at 6:24 PM