Team 7 Investigation Finds Terrorist Threats Across Border
Chris Halsne KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter
POSTED: 4:04 PM PST November 17, 2003
UPDATED: 5:32 PM PST November 17, 2003
SEATTLE -- Terrorists are using Canada as a launching pad to illegally enter America.
An exclusive KIRO Team 7 Investigation uncovers not only are terrorist recruitments going on in British Columbia, but holes in border security between there and Western Washington are an open gate, letting terrorists walk right in.
KIRO Team 7 Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne exposes the threat from Vancouver.
This city wants to be known as our friendly neighbor to the north and host for the 2010 Winter Games.
However, a KIRO Team 7 Investigation discovered it's also home to 55 known terrorist organizations, some of which would do anything to kill Americans.
Hezbollah, Hamas, the Armed Islamic Group, al-Qaida, and the Army of Mohammed aren't confined to terrorist training camps in the Middle East. National security insiders tell KIRO Team 7 Investigators hundreds of seasoned terrorists are hanging out in British Columbia.
"Those people have a hate for this country," said Carey James, retired Border Patrol Chief and current undersheriff of Whatcom County. "Some of the intelligence I had access to said there were terror groups; organizations from all over the world. Every group you can think of has a cell in the Vancouver area."
The sleeper cells aren't just sitting idle.
The Royal Mounted Police tell KIRO Team 7 Investigators al-Qaida is dealing drugs in Vancouver to raise money for its cause. Justice Department sources also tell us this year known terrorists have been probing our porous border just north of Seattle.
"It's a genuine threat to this country," said former U.S. Border Patrol Deputy Chief Gene Davis.
Davis continues to advise Congress about northern border security.
"I'm telling you the threat up there has not diminished one bit. It's probably greater now than ever before and greater right here in this area," Davis said.
KIRO Team 7 Investigators uncovered some pretty scary lapses already. A smuggler successfully walked a group of Pakistani men down a pipeline underneath a broken border camera this summer. Authorities caught two at Sea-Tac Airport, but as many as five others remain at large.
"I think it's well known what can potentially cross the border. They've already crossed," said Daryl Schermerhorn.
http://www.kirotv.com/investigations/2644422/detail.html This is SO important and just makes my hair stand on end.