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Muslim Detained 4 Days in Las Vegas, Then Sent Back to Germany
FOX News ^

Posted on 01/03/2007 2:16:08 PM PST by Michael81Dus

A German businessman of Syrian descent who wanted to surprise his daughter with a holiday visit was detained for four days in a Las Vegas holding cell before being sent back home without explanation. ... Shehadeh, 62, flew from Frankfurt to Las Vegas last Thursday, hoping to meet with his wife and drive to Bakersfield, Calif., where his American-born daughter had just gotten news she'd passed the California bar exam. Instead, he wound up shivering in a holding cell without ever being told why he couldn't enter the country, he said. ... She said Shehadeh's visa waiver could have been denied because "he could have a criminal record, or it could be a terrorism issue."

Shehadeh touched down Thursday afternoon on a direct Condor Airlines flight to McCarran International Airport, where his American wife was waiting to pick him up. The couple had planned to visit family in the Las Vegas area, before surprising their daughter for the New Year and celebrating her wedding anniversary in Central California. "I gave them my German passport, and he looked to see which countries I visited. He found I had stamps that looked like Arabic and asked if they were fake," Shehadeh said Tuesday in a phone interview from his home in Alzenau, a small Bavarian village. "Nobody ever informed me why I was being questioned," he said. "All that was ever told to me was this had to do with Washington." After being interrogated by Border Protection and FBI agents for more than 12 hours at the airport, Shehadeh said he was handcuffed and transported in the back of police car to a North Las Vegas jail.

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


TOPICS: Germany; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: germany; muslim; wot
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This is the person - and I can hardly imagine the officers mistook this 62 years old for a terrorist:

According to Spiegel.de the officers reproached him with having faked entry visa stamps of Lebanon and Syria in his passport, although he actually really went there. I think at least he deserves a letter of explanation by the Las Vegas Immigration office.

1 posted on 01/03/2007 2:16:10 PM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: Michael81Dus

I have a visa from Lebanon in my passport and ask myself whether I will face problems when I want to enter the US in March?


2 posted on 01/03/2007 2:17:45 PM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: Michael81Dus

Why would anyone fake an entry visa stamp to Syria?


3 posted on 01/03/2007 2:19:12 PM PST by marron
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To: Michael81Dus

Our usual complaint is that airport security focuses on vietnamese grandmothers, while ignoring people more likely to be a terrorist.

This seems in line with their modus operandi.


4 posted on 01/03/2007 2:21:42 PM PST by marron
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: Michael81Dus

I think he should go back and tell all the other Syrians to keep out of the U.S.


6 posted on 01/03/2007 2:23:08 PM PST by San Jacinto
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To: Michael81Dus
A lot of terrorists are charming looking. It helps with deceit.

Why are you surprised he was mistook for a terrorist? We don't know his background.
7 posted on 01/03/2007 2:23:15 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: marron

Good question, maybe to hide that he´s not of Syrian but of Iranian descent or whatever. I don´t know what the officers thought, but my trust in their competence shrinks when I read reports like that. At least after a few hours of checking process they should have found out that this man was harmless - I mean, they get all the data from the airlines before the entry, and they get the fingerprints and face pic at the arrival. What else do they need?


8 posted on 01/03/2007 2:23:16 PM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: Michael81Dus

Am I supposed to feel bad about this?

Al Qaeda can feel bad. We weren't being tough on travelling Muslims until 9/11. Now we have no choice.


9 posted on 01/03/2007 2:24:53 PM PST by Marie2 (I used to be disgusted. Now I try to be amused.)
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To: Michael81Dus

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1761882/posts

From prior thread

It seems likely a front for terrorists.


****
"In 1996 she founded a nonprofit organization called People in Motion to help people in need, including children in Afghanistan and women in Bosnia.
In other words, she and her husband are involved in Muslim charities that specialize in sending money to jihad areas - a prime source of terror funding, especially in the late '90s.

They can drop the "we are being harassed just because we are Muslims" act. We've got their number."


10 posted on 01/03/2007 2:25:03 PM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran ("Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO, It is Time for a new San Jacinto")
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To: Michael81Dus
"Blah, blah."

Wow, he had a cover story. Give him the key to the city and impeach W.


11 posted on 01/03/2007 2:25:34 PM PST by I see my hands (_8(|)
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To: Michael81Dus

When Bush first proposed beefing up airport inspections, the Democrats held out until he agreed to give them all jobs as government employees with union protection. As a result, things have been screwed up big time every since, and none of them can be fired.

Plus the Democrats have gained tens of thousands of grateful voters.

Wouldn't surprise me a bit if this is another screwup. If they can do it to grandmothers and medal of honor winners, they can do it to German Lebanese.


12 posted on 01/03/2007 2:26:13 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Michael81Dus

Ted Bundy was a good looking guy, too.

Clean cut; well spoken.

It helped him "get the chicks."


13 posted on 01/03/2007 2:26:50 PM PST by MeanWestTexan (Kol Hakavod Lezahal)
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To: Marie2

A 62 years old father of a legal resident in the US who just made her bar exam was denied entry to the US although he met all the requirements (citizen from a country of the VWP, enough money to travel back, no terrorist/criminal record - at least as far as we know and what the German Foreign Ministry says). I think this is not ok.


14 posted on 01/03/2007 2:27:40 PM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: Cicero

Alrighty then. Get the Dems out of power and then give these officers a a$$kick! ;-)


15 posted on 01/03/2007 2:29:15 PM PST by Michael81Dus
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To: Yehuda
"But now I can't wait for when I leave here. The mentality is not what it was like beforehand."

Buhbye Majida!

16 posted on 01/03/2007 2:30:30 PM PST by rocksblues (Do unto others as they do unto you!)
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To: Michael81Dus
How's this for your "letter of explanation"?

You're a muslim - GO HOME!

(Also read #5)

17 posted on 01/03/2007 2:31:47 PM PST by Slump Tester ( What if I'm pregnant Teddy? Errr-ahh Calm down Mary Jo, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it)
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To: Michael81Dus

Apparently, what HuntsvilleTxVeteran posted at 10 counters your 'no terrorist/criminal record'. Post 10 looks like a flag to me.


18 posted on 01/03/2007 2:32:07 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Yehuda
I can't remember where I saw it, but I remember reading that Majed Shehadeh had some connection to terrorists or terror financiers.

He wasn't on a "look-out list" for nuttin.

19 posted on 01/03/2007 2:35:01 PM PST by Dark Skies ("He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that" ... John Stuart Mill)
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To: Michael81Dus

I am very glad that you are not in charge of protecting our country from terrorism.

Would you tell us why you think this man could not possibly be a terrorist? You show us his picture, why does that tell you he is not a terrorist? You can tell them just by looking at them? What is it, his nice smile, his suit, or his age that convinces you?

Terrorists can have nice smiles and suits. Terrorists can even be old -- they don't have to be the bombers themselves, they could be providing money laundering, delivering messages, organizational assistance... Hell Arafat was mass murdering people left and right as an old man until he died.

How is it that you think you know better than the FBI who interviewed him for 12 hours again? Psychic powers, or the ability to judge a nice picture?


20 posted on 01/03/2007 2:35:37 PM PST by Mount Athos
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