Details Emerge About Possible Terror Threat

ABC News ^ | January 22, 2007 | Pierre Thomas

[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.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I have a simple solution: If you are a resident of a predominantly Muslim nation, you don't enter our country.

What happens when they do the same to us? Nose / Face.

When our business people are removed from Egypt, Saudi, Kuwait, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, Indonesia,the UAE. We piss off Pakistan. Our troops are removed from Turkey, and a couple of the "stan's".

Perhaps a little more thinking this out is in order?

[afraidfortherepublic]

Let's just jail anyone who complains about airport security, border security, profiling, or Federal wiretapping -- starting with members of Congress first! What does it take to wake some people up? A 2 x 4 between the ears?

[Godwin1]

In Novemeber 2005 Barack Obama criticized Republican Rep. Mark Kirk who had said, in a seminar at Northwestern University, that student visa applicants from countries known to harbor terrorists should receive special scrutiny from American consular officials. Obama issued a press release attacking Kirk, alleging he had a "cavalier attitude toward civil liberties." He said closely vetting students from Muslim countries amounted to "profiling."
Obama believes issuing visas to foreigners is a civil liberties issue, rather than an act of sovereignty by the USA. Obama thinks Saudi or Syrian students should be treated exactly the same as Polish , Japanese or Australian students. He thinks he's savvy enough to be president.

[G Larry]

Wonder how long it will take to bury and deny this report?

[afraidfortherepublic]

Obama thinks Saudi or Syrian students should be treated exactly the same as Polish , Japanese or Australian students.

I Agree. Scrutinize the H--- out of them all.

[The_Reader_David]

So you propose keeping out Christians fleeing persecution in predominantly Muslim countries?

[Last Laugh]

Sorry, but there could be ten more attacks here and nothing would change.

There would be a change alright. Such as this country has not seen since its first revolution.

It would be below "radar" for awhile. But I know things would change for muzzies, and our so-called government could only TRY to contain the anger of righteous citizens.