Theodore's World: People Crossing Border From Terrorism-Related Countries

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September 14, 2007

People Crossing Border From Terrorism-Related Countries




Terrorists have been arrested on the border, security chief says The Monitor

DALLAS

Texas' top homeland security official said Wednesday that terrorists with ties to Hezbollah, Hamas and al-Qaida have been arrested crossing the Texas border with Mexico in recent years.

"Has there ever been anyone linked to terrorism arrested?" Texas Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw said in a speech to the North Texas Crime Commission. "Yes, there was."

His remarks appear to be among the most specific on the topic of terrorism arrests along the Texas-Mexico border. Local and elected officials have alluded to this happening but have been short on details.

Leticia Zamarripa, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso, said Wednesday she was unaware of any border arrests of people with terrorist ties. An ICE spokeswoman in San Antonio did not return phone messages left by The Associated Press. U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Lloyd M. Easterling was unable to comment.

However, McCraw's remarks are similar to those made recently by National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell, who last month told the El Paso Times that a small number of people with known links to terrorist organizations have been caught crossing the border.

McCraw identified the most notable figure captured as Farida Goolam Mahomed Ahmed, who was arrested in July 2004 at the McAllen airport. She carried $7,300 in various currencies and a South African passport with pages missing. Federal officials later learned she waded across the Rio Grande.

After her arrest, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a release saying she was wanted for questioning about the bombing of a U.S. Consulate office, jibing with similar statements from a U.S. congressman.

But the department quickly retracted the terrorism connection, calling it "inaccurate on several levels." Michael Shelby, then the U.S. attorney in Houston, said in January 2005 that any suggestion Ahmed was involved in terrorism "is in error."

According to federal court records, Ahmed pleaded guilty to improper entry by an alien, making a false statement and false use of a passport. She was sentenced to time served and deported to South Africa. Other details of the case were sealed.

But on Wednesday, McCraw described Ahmed as having ties to an insurgent group in Pakistan and whose specialty was smuggling Afghanis and other foreign nationals across the border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Michael Friel could not confirm details about Ahmed on Wednesday.

McCraw also said that since March 2006, 347 people from what he called "terrorism-related countries" have been arrested crossing the border in Texas. The number of Iraqis captured at the border has tripled since last year, he said.

"A porous border without question is a national security threat," he said.
"Terrorism isn't the only concern for homeland security officials in Texas, McCraw said. The state's size, population and geography make it susceptible to all sorts of disasters, both natural and man-made. Emergency responders must also be prepared for natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and wildfires," he said.

The state has made significant strides in emergency planning since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and Hurricane Rita, McCraw said. Plans include cooperating with large private companies, including grocery stores, Wal-Mart and the oil industry, to help the state respond during disasters.

"This is not a shot at FEMA, but we can't depend on FEMA to protect Texas," McCraw said. "The governor's mandate has made it clear: If those buses don't come, we better have our own buses. If that food doesn't come,we better have our own food. If that water doesn't come, we better have our own water to take care of Texas."



Good grief.............

FBI's Mueller: Hezbollah Busted in Mexican Smuggling Operation
newsmax

FBI Director Robert Mueller said this week that his agency busted a smuggling ring organized by the terrorist group Hezbollah that had operatives cross the Mexican border to carry out possible terrorist attacks inside the U.S. "This was an occasion in which Hezbollah operatives were assisting others with some association with Hezbollah in coming to the United States,” Mueller told a House Appropriations subcommittee during a Tuesday hearing on the FBI's budget.

In a stunning revelation, Mueller admitted that Hezbollah had succeeded in smuggling some of its operatives across the border, telling the House committee: "That was an organization that we dismantled and identified those persons who had been smuggled in. And they have been addressed as well.”

Hezbollah was responsible for the single most deadly terrorist attack against the U.S. before 9/11 - the Oct. 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 243 U.S. troops.

In November, an al-Qaida operative who was on the FBI's terrorist watch list was captured near the Mexican border, housed in a Texas jail and turned over to federal agents, according to Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas.

"A confirmed al-Qaida terrorist, an Iraqi national, was held in the Brewster County jail," Rep. Culberson told ABC Radio host Sean Hannity. "He was captured in Mexico. This was within the last six weeks. He was turned over to the FBI."


Wild Thing's comment........

What do they expect? Why should terrorists try to come in legally when they can just walk across the border and no one’s the wiser?

This is what we’ve been saying all along but would they believe those of us who live on the border? Nooooooooooooo!

Posted by Wild Thing at September 14, 2007 12:55 AM

Comments

...Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, PLO, Iraniacs, Syrianals, and Islamomaniacs Inc. just wanna register as democrats, and find sanctuary in most blue state Catholic churches! So what?

Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at September 14, 2007 03:25 AM

Of course they're coming across the border from Mexico--they're dark like Mexicans and can blend in.
You don't see them coming from Canada, do you? That would be funny--look at all the illegal Canadians rushing the border.
Also, I did read somewhere that parents in Mexico and South and Central America are giving their newborns more "American" names, like Kevin Smith (and then the surname), so if they get stopped, they can just say their name is Kevin Smith and have only that on the ID they show the cops.
We have to have more than just a wall to stop the bleeding of illegal riff raff bringing drug resistant diseases, more taxes on us and the loss of entry level jobs for our kids.

Posted by: Lynn at September 14, 2007 05:00 AM

PS: And I have to look at these scumbags on the anniversary of Francis Scott Key's writing of 'The Star Spangled Banner!' - 14 Sep 1814

Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at September 14, 2007 06:57 AM

We are going to pay a big, big price for the lack of border security. I think the only reason we have not had another terrorist attack is because they want to keep getting more of their operatives in across the border. My guess is that their numbers are in the many thousands. That would include those that have come in through legal channels as well, students and refugees. This will come back to haunt us.

Posted by: TomR at September 14, 2007 09:18 AM

Posted by: BobF at September 14, 2007 09:22 AM

Reading the links BobF posted shows that the islamists have been setting America up for attacks for decades. They have been using infiltration by immigration and funding from wealthy MidEast oil states to get us ready for subversion and attack. Our leaders have known this, and our media has kept quiet. Each leadership has gambled it would not happen on their watch.

Are we destined to be overcome and enslaved? What the hell is going on? I have no faith in our leaders. Guess I will buy even more ammo this weekend.

Posted by: TomR at September 14, 2007 11:15 AM

This was written more than 50 years ago. And it seems to be coming closer to fruition.

Racism or profiling has nothing to do with this it is self preservation.

"Our Country won't go on forever, if we stay soft as we are now. There won't
be any AMERICA because some foreign soldiery will invade us and take our
women and breed a hardier race!"
-Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC

Posted by: Mark at September 14, 2007 02:36 PM

Geraldo claimed in his recent interview with Hannity that Chertoff replied, in response to Geraldo's question, that there hadn't been a single confirmed instance of a terrorist crossing the southern border.

First, lack of a confirmed incident doesn't mean that there are NO terrorists crossing the border. Second, absence of apprehension proves nothing, except that we haven't caught or detained any.

This now appears to be a lie by Chertoff, which would be consistent with the border mentality of Presidente Bush. Just let 'em through.

Posted by: Rhod at September 14, 2007 05:13 PM

Darth, those Dems must be counting on a lot of illegals to vote for them.

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 14, 2007 11:40 PM

Lynn, "look at all the illegal Canadians rushing the border.".... exactly.
That is interesting about the names Lynn.

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 14, 2007 11:42 PM

Darth, thanks for sharing that about the 'The Star Spangled Banner'. Your right, we should not have to be dealing with any of this anytime, it would not even be the problem it is if our country would just to things right and obey our laws and enforce our laws. sheesh I am so disgusted.

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 14, 2007 11:46 PM

Tom, I think so too, there must be thousands of them.

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 14, 2007 11:47 PM

Bob thank you for the links. I really appreciate it.

Sorry your comment didn't go through automatically. Sometimes when there are a lot of links in a comment my server thinks they are spam. I ok'd it as soon as I saw it had gone in the wrong folder.

I am fine with it, I just wanted to let you know why it didn't show up right away.

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 14, 2007 11:49 PM

Tom, it is scary to me, they know we can find out this much information and they (our leaders)don't even care how angry it makes us and how upsetting it is. Then they turn around and want out vote again. sheesh

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 14, 2007 11:56 PM

Mark what a great quote by Chesty. Thank you so much.

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 14, 2007 11:58 PM

Rhod thanks for telling about that. Wow that always gets me when they lie like that, they have to know sooner or later we will find out. They just don't even care. I never saw anything like all of this in my life.

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 15, 2007 12:00 AM

Wild Thing, that's what I figured when the message came up about the administrator needing to review the comment.

Posted by: BobF at September 15, 2007 08:27 AM