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 ...
Not now, but the time will come soon, we will.
There are no immigration or citizenship restrictions on the shipment of dead people to the USA -- So long as the remains are properly prepared or cremated.
So they can do something themselves to solve the problem.
The 18 year old was born here river rat. How would you react, right or wrong, if some fed tried to bar YOUR entrance back into the USA?
There's no need to amend the Constitution. If their loyalty lies elsewhere, then they lied in the naturalization oath, and citizenship can be revoked on that basis.
ping for later read
Agreed, we need a neutral detached magistrate to rubber stamp this apparently prudent action.
Damn I miss the 80's really..
If you have a name like Muhammand Matthew, then go to a place like PakistanRussia or England for 4 years, and then refuse to answer some questions for the FBI, you should NEVER be allowed on US soil again, whether you were born here, naturalized, of whatever.
Make DAMNED sure that any law / action / whatever is not going to pich if it is ever turned on you.
Do you have any idea what an idiotic statement this is? There are THOUSANDS of people walking around in this country with more than enough knowledge to create an absolutely devastating teror campaign if they so desire. They're called special forces, combat engineers, armorers and EOD specialists in the United States military. I'm pretty sure some of them are muslim, wiccan or whatever. You want to boot all of them out of the country as well?
Yeah, but why have they refused to be interrogated? They were in a foreign country for several years (known for terrorists and obviously Bin Laden is hiding out there), so why can't they answer a few questions? Our country is at war here, we have to take some precautions!!
What? You think we don't breed or naturalize assholes or terrorists here?
There was enough in the post - to indicate these two birds required some special scrutiny...
"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.
"... 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..."
Not exactly your run of the mill Yankee Doodle Dandy!
Semper Fi
crutiny yes ... but citizens have rights ... even muslims have the right to remain silent. If they have something, charge them. Do not bar them or everything that you, me and every other Marine has ever fought for is GONE.
They don't have to answer a few questions. It's called the Fifth Amendment. Our country is at war ? Show me the declaration of war and I will accept that as reasons for some limitations, but you NEVER bar citizens the right to enter their own countries.
Absolutely agree. If they are citizens, they have rights.
The thought of the government having these kind of arbitrary powers is frightening. If this were me or any of my relatives, I'd be thinking of my 2nd amendment rights.
Hey, if it bothers you, so deeply- step up and sponsor these wonderful fellas. Vouch for them directly. Let them be in your parole, at your home. Do that or attempt to do so- then, your objections to National Security standards, will have some backbone. Until that moment- you are truly defending a wormy opinion, Jubal Harshaw.
That sounds great! I want Hillary or one of her functionaries to have an unappealable right to revoke my citizenship!
Is a sarcasm tag really necessary?
No doubt that will happen just as soon as they agree to be "questioned" about their activity in Pakistan for the last 4 years...
I doubt our founders ever intended the rights delineated in the Constitution, required us to be stupid or to commit suicide by applying them indiscriminately...
Just my opinion, ...always be suspicious of folks who behave like assholes...hold them at distance with center of mass in the sight picture..
In dangerous times - it's prudent to be cautious.
Probably why I'm still alive..
Semper Fi
Hell, let the bastards back in, just tap their phones, there, all said and done. Wait, the ACLU doesn't want the phone taps either? Well, what the ACLU wants is best, right? /s
The better and LEGAL solution is just to turn them loose and see what they turn up in the US.
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