Saudi students in US to be fingerprinted

Arabnews.com ^ | October 20, 2002 | Raid Qusti

[snippy_about_it]

RIYADH, 20 October — Saudi students already residing in the United States have been informed by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia that they need to visit immigration centers in their state to be fingerprinted and interviewed, a source told Arab News yesterday.

A circular has been sent to all Saudi students by the Cultural Mission of the Saudi Embassy which states that, according to new US laws, they are required to visit their nearest immigration center to be fingerprinted and subjected to a one-on-one interview.

They were also told that they needed to update officials on their current study programs and their expected graduation date, as well as other related information. The circular added that the deadline for visiting immigration centers is the end of October.

Speaking to Arab News from Washington, Ahmed Al-Aswad, an official at the Cultural Mission of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, said that students should wait before visiting the immigration centers. "We’ve sent them another circular by e-mail informing them that they should wait until current developments are over."

He did not elaborate on what exactly he meant by "developments", and only said that they have not yet been finalized.

According to the cultural mission, some 300 students were refused entry to the United States after Sept. 11, 2001. They were in Saudi Arabia visiting family and friends and were not issued new student visas to return to the US to finish their studies. They were either forced to drop their study plans or look for alternative universities in Europe and Asia.

New stringent US immigration checks on nationals from several countries, including Saudi Arabia, went into effect on Oct 1. Under the new measures, all Saudi males aged between 16 and 45 are to be fingerprinted and photographed. They are also required to register with the authorities and update their travel plans should they exceed more than a 30-day stay.

As a reciprocal measure, the government of Saudi Arabia will start fingerprinting Americans entering the Kingdom. This was confirmed by Interior Minister Prince Naif last week when he told the press: "Our dealings (with other countries) will be reciprocal. We’ll deal with every country in the same way they deal with us."

[snippy_about_it]

This is a good thing. I laugh at their snippy comment about being reciprocal.

[jgrubbs]

This is great, they need to get every other Arab, and all members of the Nation of Islam

[VoidAngel]

Enter the ACLU that's gonna whine and moan about this for eternity.

[FreePaul]

Why in the HELL is this coming from the Saudi Government???
Why didn't our government insist on this over a year ago???

[Joe 6-pack]

"Our dealings (with other countries) will be reciprocal. We’ll deal with every country in the same way they deal with us."

Good.

I expect the largesse, aid and support to start rolling in any day now. We'll be more than happy to accept it in terms of free oil.

Of course I won't hold my breath.

[undergroundwarrior]

What American, in their correct mind, would want to visit the "House of Sodomy"?

[patriciaruth]

according to new US laws, they are required to visit their nearest immigration center to be fingerprinted and subjected to a one-on-one interview

Well, if we take the Senate (may God be willing), then these security measures can pass faster and be put into effect faster.

[patriciaruth]

What American, in their correct mind, would want to visit the "House of S[aud]?

I once thought about it 20 or so years ago. They were offering enormous salaries, most of which you could bank and have a real nice nest egg on returning to the U.S. in a couple years.

[Cobra64]

"We’ll deal with every country in the same way they deal with us."

Since your guys kille 3,000 Americans, I think we've got an unscored balance to deal with, by a thousand to one ratio.

[Adrastus]

Been there, done that. They got what they paid for and I got mine. On the other hand, the crack about "reciprocal treatment is utter nonsense. In 15 years,I was photographed and fingerprinted more times than the average felon in this country and I never so much as got a traffic citation. I vote for letting them try and run their own d....ed military and industry. That should prove amusing for them.

[vigilo]

"all Saudi males aged between 16 and 45 are to be fingerprinted and photographed."

Wow, that'll fixem. Now they know we really mean business. We're gonna finger print you and take your picture. You can't say the government isn't doing anything about terrorism. We won't deport them but we have their pictures and prints. Geeze. Are our leaders retarded?

[Bush2000]

Why in the HELL is this coming from the Saudi Government??? Why didn't our government insist on this over a year ago???

Welcome to government bureaucracy. These morons had to hire thousands more bureaucrats to handle the caseload of 1-on-1 interviews; bureaucrats, I might add, that we will be stuck with forever.

[outpost44]

It should read: Fingerprint, interview and DEPORT...

[XBob]

1 - ""Our dealings (with other countries) will be reciprocal. We’ll deal with every country in the same way they deal with us."


Well, then, they better start canceling all Saudi tourism to the US, start banning saudi's from visiting any US church or religious place, start opening up their laws allowing the import of bibles and christian churches, and similar things like that.

[glc1173@aol.com]

Only those returning to the U.S. will be interviewed and fingerprinted. Those just staying here are being ignored.

Details of Bush sellout on foreign student issue

[Lilly]

re: post #2

To be sure...but is this not "too little-too late?" Shouldn't this and much more have occured 9/12/01?

[Lilly]

re: post #13

Could not agree more!

[Texasforever]

LOL. Yep my fingerprints have been on file in SA since 1979 along with a 3 photos spanning 12 years.

[ReadMyMind]

The ones that work for the oil companies and contractors.