Posted on 01/22/2007 1:04:07 PM PST by madison10
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2007 — Mimicking the hijackers who executed the Sept. 11 attacks, insurgents reportedly tied to al Qaeda in Iraq considered using student visas to slip terrorists into the United States to orchestrate a new attack on American soil.
Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, recently testified that documents captured by coalition forces during a raid of a safe house believed to house Iraqi members of al Qaeda six months ago "revealed [AQI] was planning terrorist operations in the U.S."
At the time, Maples offered little additional insight into the possible terror plot. ABC News, however, has learned new details of what remains a classified incident that has been dealt with at the highest levels of government.
Sources tell ABC News that the plot may have involved moving between 10 and 20 suspects believed to be affiliated with al Qaeda in Iraq into the United States with student visas — the same method used by the 19 al Qaeda terrorists who struck American targets on Sept. 11.
U.S. officials now require universities to closely track foreign nationals who use student visas to study in the United States. University officials must report international students who fail to arrive on campus or miss class regularly.
In August, the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement alerted intelligence agencies and state and local law enforcement about 11 Egyptian students who had failed to report to their classes at Montana State University. The students were ultimately apprehended.
Still, despite the heightened precautions, some security analysts fear that skilled terrorists — handpicked because of their clean records and because they are carefully trained — could still slip through an academic setting.
The plot was discovered six months ago, roughly the same time that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, was killed by coalition forces. Sources tell ABC News that the suspects involved in the effort to launch the U.S. attack were closely associated with Zarqawi.
The plan also came only months after Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's No. 2, had requested that Zarqawi attempt an attack inside the United States.
"This appears to be the first hard evidence al Qaeda in Iraq was trying to attack us here at home," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, former chief counterterrorism adviser on the U.S. National Security Council.
The plan was uncovered in its early stages, and sources say there is no indication that the suspects made it into the United States. Officials also emphasize that there is no evidence of an imminent attack.
The hunt for suspects continues, however, and some fear that al Qaeda recruits in Iraq could be easily redirected.
I have a simple solution: If you are a resident of a predominantly Muslim nation, you don't enter our country.
For any reason.
For any reason.
Sounds like a plan. Create the 'persona non-grata' country list and send it to the State Department where it will be ignored at our own peril.
That was a joke, wasn't it? No one seemed to give a hoot about that incident..."they just got lost" my heiney.
and do you think the government will take this hint and stop student visas? of course not.
"I'm reminded of those Muslim 'students' who suddenly got 'lost' on the way to school last year."
I am reminded of those Muslim 'students' who hi-fived each other when the towers came down while campus police stood by impotently.
Who needs student visas? They caught 11 Iraqis trying to get here via Mexico last week.
But the MSM still makes the headlines that "insurgents" are behind the planned attacks.
"Still, despite the heightened precautions, some security analysts fear that skilled terrorists — handpicked because of their clean records and because they are carefully trained — could still slip through an academic setting."
The "students" that participated in a major way on 9/11 were able to enter Germany on student visas with no trouble at all. They were radicalized by a Hamberg mosque AFTER they arrived there. There are certainly plenty of places where ordinary muslim students with no connection to jihad can be radicalized in like manner once they enter the US or any other western country. And with the internet connections they can certainly offer their services to Al-Q without much difficulty also. The greatest danger of these guys and the 9/11 guys is their ordinariness which keeps them of the realm of suspicion.
I thought at the time they were delivering messages.
The muzzies better not.they just better not try something else. There will be no more appeasement and "sensitivity" lessons the second time around.
Maybe they switched tactics to "Catholic refugees via Mexico".
Sources tell ABC News that the plot may have involved moving between 10 and 20 suspects believed to be affiliated with al Qaeda in Iraq into the United States with student visas — the same method used by the 19 al Qaeda terrorists who struck American targets on Sept. 11
So, somebody divulged classified information and ABC feels compelled to make that classified information public knowledge. Sounds like some investigation needs done here.
"a classified incident that has been dealt with at the highest levels of government"
One of my pet-peeves! So many stupid people think nothing IS or HAS happened since 9/11.
The U.S. could stop 1000 planned attacks and not release the details due to national security, and the dema$$es would say that the war in Iraq isn't necessary.
He((, I wouldn't release details either, knowing the traitorous behavior of our press!
Who takes the blame if we wind-up withdrawing, Iraq either does or does not survive our leaving, and terrorism again visits OUR SHORES?!
They WILL come here, especially if lily-livered, limp-wristed, liberals are controlling the federal government.
Ah to dream!
Meanwhile, our moronic Secretary of Homeland Security admits we can't even track the visa-holders who have left the country - which makes it impossible to figure out who has overstayed.
I think those guys (in Mexico, apprehended by the Mexican government) probably were Catholic refugees via Mexico. The problem is that the AQ types were planning on getting in legally; they wouldn't take a chance being here illegally, and I doubt that if even they tried it, they'd be so obvious that even the Mexican government could catch them.
I don't know why we admit so many Muslims here legally; I believe the number of student and other visas for Muslim countries was actually increased last year, wasn't it?
Ol' #2 is taking another poke at 'W'.....
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,245640,00.html
Your probably right it just struck me as odd they had false passports.
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