Posted on 03/08/2005 3:54:55 PM PST by BurbankKarl
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress on Tuesday that people from countries with ties to al-Qaida have crossed into the United States from Mexico, using false identities.
"We are concerned, Homeland Security is concerned about special interest aliens entering the United States," Mueller said, using a term for people from countries where al-Qaida is known to be active.
Under persistent questioning from Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, Mueller said he was aware of one route that takes people to Brazil, where they assume false identities, and then to Mexico before crossing the U.S. border.
He also said that in some instances people with Middle Eastern names have adopted Hispanic last names before trying to get into the United States.
Mueller provided no estimate of the number of people who have entered the country in this manner.
Bush administration officials have previously said al-Qaida could try to infiltrate the United States through the Mexican border.
In recent congressional testimony, Adm. James Loy, deputy Homeland Security secretary, said al-Qaida operatives believe they can pay to get into the country through Mexico and that entering illegally is "more advantageous than legal entry."
But Loy said there's no conclusive evidence that al-Qaida operatives have entered the country via Mexico.
Likewise, Mueller did not acknowledge that terrorists had entered the country through Mexico, only that it's believed people from countries where al-Qaida is active have done so.
U.S. authorities are investigating groups that may be smuggling people from countries with al-Qaida ties, he said.
On another topic, Mueller said it will take until 2008 and cost an unknown amount of money to replace a flawed computer system that was supposed to greatly improve management of terrorism and other criminal cases.
The Virtual Case File project was to have been the final piece of the FBI's overhaul of its antiquated computer system, an instantaneous and paperless way for FBI agents and analysts to manage all types of investigations.
Instead, faced with mounting evidence that the system is inadequate and outdated, the FBI is undertaking a new project.
"We intend to develop and implement a state-of-the-art case management system," Mueller said.
The new system, as yet unnamed, will be deployed in four phases, Mueller said. An estimate of the additional cost should be ready by the end of March, when planners should know what aspects of the system will have to be developed from scratch and what software can be purchased off the shelf, he said.
"Ultimately, it will be better than VCF," Mueller said.
But skeptical lawmakers, who heard similar predictions before, were not reassured.
"Can you tell us how you guarantee there won't be a third failure?" asked Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., the subcommittee chairman, alluding to problems with the Virtual Case File and an earlier FBI computer system.
The FBI director said the new project would be better managed and put into place in distinct pieces.
After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Mueller made improvement of the agency's computer systems a priority. Members of Congress and the independent Sept. 11 commission said the overhaul was critical to enabling the FBI and intelligence agencies to "connect the dots" in preventing attacks.
The first two phases of the "Trilogy" project - deployment of a high-speed, secure FBI computer network and 30,000 new desktop computers - have been completed.
But the upgrade already is 2 1/2 years behind schedule and, at nearly $600 million, more than 25 percent over its initial budget.
Mueller has said he expects the loss to taxpayers from the Virtual Case File to be $105 million.
Before the overhaul, begun in November 2000, many of the FBI's computer systems were 30-year-old hand-me-downs from other government agencies. Few of the bureau's 56 field offices had connections to the Internet and its networks couldn't even transmit a digital photo.
This is all we heard from them under clinton. What happened to the computers they got then? They weren't given cast-offs. mueller needs fired, badly!
"... people from countries with ties to al-Qaida have crossed into the United States from Mexico, using false identities."
How did they manage to do that ..??
Or .. have we allowed them in so we can follow them and find out what they're up to. I pray fervently we do not lose track of them.
Yeah, but they had no way of knowing. Ease up... LMAO
Can't wait to hear the excuses eminating from D.C. after the next attack. Frankly, I don't think they're going to like what the American public rises up and does next time.
We've already been shown that there's no plan to protect our cities. There's no plan to protect our borders. Hell, is there a friggen plan at all?
Oh yes, they have a complete set of my ass prints a the airport, and just about everything else. Sheesh. Who are the friggen terrorists and their enablers? It's pretty danged obvious.
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress on Tuesday that people from countries with ties to al-Qaida have crossed into the United States from Mexico, using false identities.
"We are concerned, Homeland Security is concerned about special interest aliens entering the United States," Mueller said, using a term for people from countries where al-Qaida is known to be active.
Under persistent questioning from Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, Mueller said he was aware of one route that takes people to Brazil, where they assume false identities, and then to Mexico before crossing the U.S. border.
>>>
Hallelujia!! The light of DAY!?
Or .. have we allowed them in so we can follow them and find out what they're up to
>>>
Um, no...
Sadly, I think you're exactly right. The borders should have been closed down completely on 9/12/01. I have never understood why they weren't; it was a no-brainer.
>>>
NO BRAINER BTTT!
You're probably more prophetic than many would care you to be...lol (sigh)
TFTP Sir!
He also said that in some instances people with Middle Eastern names have adopted Hispanic last names before trying to get into the United States.
>>>
Is this under oath??!
Mueller provided no estimate of the number of people who have entered the country in this manner.
>>>
The BP down there SURE AS HELL FIRE KNOW how many THEY'VE "CAUGHT and RELEASED"!! Sheesh. Unreal.
Now that would be profiling, using circumstantial evidence to indicate such conclusive thinking. The law forbids that kind of thinking!
After all we are a politically correct country. Never mind that it's sinking us below the high tide levels, we MUST be politically correct!
"Just put your snorklers mask on", is what the judge said.
We should never expect an FBI Bureau DIRECTOR to volunteer the bad news for public comsumption. Such foolishness is bound to make the citizens nervous enough to ask questions such as, "What have you done to stop it."
...roger that...
Unfortunately, you're absolutely correct. I and many
others have been posting about this for a long time. In
fact my latest was this afternoon (Mexico Protects Illegals
#71). If it weren't so tragic we could claim a Rush "echo
syndrome". What is totally disconcerting is that the
political leadership (Bush,Congress et al.) DOESN'T get
what is obvious to the rest of the nation -- not IF but
WHEN. The out-of-control border policy is not only giving
us horrendous economic and social problems -- but is a
NATIONAL SECURITY threat! If we are struck by terrorists
because we are too politically correct to exercise
control our own borders ---- then politicians from Bush
on down will be guilty of CRIMINAL negligence.
I’ve never understood any of this about the borders. My first reaction to the 911 attacks was “close the damned borders NOW!” But, sadly, within one week, Dubya was praising Islam as a “religion of peace,” inviting terror-related immams to speak at national prayers vigils, visiting mosques and, frankly, ignoring the porous border situation, while talking up “war against terrorism.”
It’s complete madness.
The right thing to do is get rid of all illegal aliens and close our border. Instead of our military dying in Iraq, they should be posted on the borders, north and south, to keep the terrorists and sundry low-lives out of this country.
Sadly, not enough Americans have died yet.
You are sadly 100% correct. It will take another 9/11 to wake up a large percentage of our population to the fact that terrorists can and are crossing our boders unobstructed. When this happens, there will be a big uproar and our pols will have to respond. It's just so sad that more innocent people will have to die before the folks pull their heads out of their a$$es.
Watched a fella on Fox News a day or so ago who had written a book...Believe he was ex CIA or FBI...He says there are 10 KNOWN (by the gov't) Sibella terrorists groups in major cities in the U.S and no one knows how many 'unknown' groups there are...
He claims they have serious weapons, an advanced international communications network and plenty of money...They are of course, supported by Iran...And as we know, they have at least 25,000 members in Lebanon and scores of thousands of sympathizers as well...They are tied directly to Syria...
One Dore have to wonder what our gov't is up to...
Sibella (how'd that get there)=Hizbollah
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