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2 Lodi residents refused entry back into U.S.
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | August 26, 2006 | Demian Bulwa

Posted on 08/26/2006 8:07:24 PM PDT by Mount Athos

The federal government has barred two relatives of a Lodi man convicted of supporting terrorists from returning to the country after a lengthy stay in Pakistan, placing the U.S. citizens in an extraordinary legal limbo.

Muhammad Ismail, a 45-year-old naturalized citizen born in Pakistan, and his 18-year-old son, Jaber Ismail, who was born in the United States, have not been charged with a crime. However, they are the uncle and cousin of Hamid Hayat, a 23-year-old Lodi cherry packer who was convicted in April of supporting terrorists by attending a Pakistani training camp.

Federal authorities said Friday that the men, both Lodi residents, would not be allowed back into the country unless they agreed to FBI interrogations in Pakistan. An attorney representing the family said agents have asked whether the younger Ismail trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan.

The men and three relatives had been in Pakistan for more than four years and tried to return to the United States on April 21 as a federal jury in Sacramento deliberated Hayat's fate. But they were pulled aside during a layover in Hong Kong and told there was a problem with their passports, said Julia Harumi Mass, their attorney.

The father and son were forced to pay for a flight back to Islamabad because they were on the government's "no-fly" list, Mass said. Muhammad Ismail's wife, teenage daughter and younger son, who were not on the list, continued on to the United States.

Neither Muhammad nor Jaber Ismail holds dual Pakistani citizenship, Mass said.

"We haven't heard about this happening -- U.S. citizens being refused the right to return from abroad without any charges or any basis," said Mass, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: California; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aclu; aliens; hamidhayat; hayat; immigrantlist; jaberismail; lodi; lodicell; muhammadismail; terrorists; theyarepakistanis; umerhayat; yourpapersplease
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1 posted on 08/26/2006 8:07:25 PM PDT by Mount Athos
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To: Mount Athos
Muhammad Ismail, a 45-year-old naturalized citizen born in Pakistan
I have no sympathy.
2 posted on 08/26/2006 8:09:32 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: Mount Athos
said Mass, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union.

What a surprise.

3 posted on 08/26/2006 8:10:35 PM PDT by operation clinton cleanup (Assistant to the traveling secretary.)
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To: Mount Athos

Too Bad. Bloods thicker than water. And probably patriotism too.

Keep em out of the USofA


4 posted on 08/26/2006 8:11:49 PM PDT by Dov in Houston
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To: Mount Athos
the United States needs to amend the Constitution to allow for the citizenship of such people proven to be involved in deeds against America to be permanently revoked .
Without appeal .
5 posted on 08/26/2006 8:11:55 PM PDT by LeoWindhorse
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To: operation clinton cleanup
Federal authorities said Friday that the men, both Lodi residents, would not be allowed back into the country unless they agreed to FBI interrogations in Pakistan. An attorney representing the family said agents have asked whether the younger Ismail trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan.

Doesn't sound so onerous to me. Answer the questions or don't come back.
6 posted on 08/26/2006 8:13:21 PM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: " There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")
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To: Mount Athos
Lets see. You are a muslem with a known associates that is a terrorist and you are returning after 4 years from a country that has muslem terrorist training camps and you find it offensive that you are being given heightened scrutiny upon trying to return to this country?

GOOD ! ! !

7 posted on 08/26/2006 8:14:42 PM PDT by Delta 21 ( MKC USCG - ret)
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To: Mount Athos
Once again.....Pakistan and their cockroaches in the news....
There is a definite pattern there....

Semper Fi

8 posted on 08/26/2006 8:17:21 PM PDT by river rat (You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
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To: Mount Athos

Make these guys an offer they can't refuse:

"Bring me the head of Osama BinLaden"


9 posted on 08/26/2006 8:19:45 PM PDT by gas0linealley
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To: Kozak

Are you people insane? An agent of the executive branch of the federal government, deciding for himself, without a trial, or even an indictment, that US Citizens should be barred from the country? That's OK with you? Maybe these two are dangerous, but that's what we have a court system for. If these two have done something illegal, then they should be indicted and tried. If the government wants to coerce them into talking about any possible criminal activities in which they may have engaged, then this line comes into play : "nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself?"

This is an absolutely outrageous overreach on the part of some federal agent, who should have been fired yesterday for this action.


10 posted on 08/26/2006 8:20:43 PM PDT by Jubal Harshaw
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To: Jubal Harshaw

Get ready to be trampled.


11 posted on 08/26/2006 8:22:54 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Jubal Harshaw

""""Are you people insane? An agent of the executive branch of the federal government, deciding for himself, without a trial, or even an indictment, that US Citizens should be barred from the country? That's OK with you? Maybe these two are dangerous, but that's what we have a court system for. If these two have done something illegal, then they should be indicted and tried. If the government wants to coerce them into talking about any possible criminal activities in which they may have engaged, then this line comes into play : "nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself?"

This is an absolutely outrageous overreach on the part of some federal agent, who should have been fired yesterday for this action.""""

I agree, some fed barring US citizens from entry into the country is a very dangerous precedent. I can't believe he's doing this on his own. If there's a reason to suspect them of something they should be taken into custody and charged with something; otherwise, this agent whoever he/she is doesn't have a leg to stand on. Given that the admin. has even fined airlines for discriminating against Muslims, I can't believe higher-ups are allowing this to happen. Methinks there's a lot more to this story than is being reported.


12 posted on 08/26/2006 8:26:09 PM PDT by ElCid89 (the corps...the corps...and the corps...)
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: Jubal Harshaw

Sorry, but natural born citizens can be detained and interviewed when they return from aboard. The degree of questioning depends on where you've been, what you did.
Then there is the small matter that they aren't on US soil.


14 posted on 08/26/2006 8:29:27 PM PDT by investigateworld (Abortion stops a beating heart)
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To: 1rudeboy; Jubal Harshaw
"Get ready to be trampled."

Sad but true. Stripping the rights of a United States citizen with out any presence of a trial nor even leaving charges is insane. Anyone who would support such a move is quite literally an enemy of the state in my book.
15 posted on 08/26/2006 8:30:37 PM PDT by ndt
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To: Jubal Harshaw

Try to enter the US sometime while refusing to answer the questions of a customs agent.


16 posted on 08/26/2006 8:30:51 PM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: " There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")
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To: Jubal Harshaw
they were on the government's "no-fly" list

It sounds like they may have already had their day in court...and may have been avoiding more by staying outside of the country. Other than that, I'd agree with you although it does bring up the issue of making a criminal case against them or an intelligence one. If the latter....good luck to the prosecution...they will need it.
17 posted on 08/26/2006 8:31:36 PM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: investigateworld

We are not talking about detention. We are talking about being denied entry.


18 posted on 08/26/2006 8:31:39 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: ironpuppy

Question please

Are you related to any known terrorists ?

Just a question please and I seriously doubt you are however these two were and that makes more than probable cause to disallow re-entry. I am a Natural US Citizen (for generations) and if it is in the best interests of the USA to disallow me entry when I am returning from a foreign/anti american/islamic country

Than SO BE IT


19 posted on 08/26/2006 8:32:31 PM PDT by Dov in Houston
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To: ironpuppy
I apologize if I have offended you. Pakistani's are implicated almost 100% of the time. This is not USA, this is global. I had a friend after 9/11 who was a Sikh. I walked him through much of his life thereafter. He did not complain.
20 posted on 08/26/2006 8:33:27 PM PDT by kinoxi
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