U.S. embassy official took bribes for Saudi visas

AP - Salon ^ | May 22 2002

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U.S. embassy official took bribes for Saudi visas

- - - - - - - - - - - - By Jeffrey Gold

May 21, 2002 | NEWARK, N.J. (AP) --

A former employee of a U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia where most of the Sept. 11 hijackers got their visas admitted Tuesday that he took money and gifts to provide fraudulent visas to foreigners.

Abdulla Noman had no connection to any of the hijackers, 15 of whom got visas legally through the consulate in Jeddah, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Vilker said.

"There's no evidence whatever linking him to terrorism," Vilker said.

Noman pleaded guilty to bribery on Tuesday. About 50 to 100 visas were improperly issued by Noman from September 1996 until last November, when he was arrested in Las Vegas while accompanying a trade delegation from the Mideast, Vilker said.

Noman, 54, a Yemeni citizen, said he got bribes worth thousands of dollars for making it appear foreigners were legitimate members of trade delegations to the United States.

"They would come in with everybody else and then disappear," Vilker said.

Vilker acknowledged that while no links to terrorism have been uncovered, officials have not yet been able to locate all the people who obtained visas through Noman.

As part of a plea bargain, Noman has agreed to cooperate with authorities. "He has no information about anything related to Sept. 11," Noman attorney Stanley L. Cohen said.

Noman had worked at the consulate since November 1985, and authorities suspect he began the visa scheme soon afterward, Vilker said.

Visa procedures at the Jeddah consulate, and others, have changed since Sept. 11, Vilker said. Before, visas could be obtained through a travel agency; now, applicants must appear for an interview at a consulate, he said.

Noman faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced Sept. 4. The actual term, however, would be about 2 1/2 years without parole, based on federal guidelines.

He would be deported after serving his term, Vilker said.

[sleavelessinseattle]

We were loose when this guy was "in business" but I think that 2 1/2 years without parole should go to about 8 years for people letting illegals into this country...effective not from today forward, but for any offenses committed after 9/11. If people were still profiting from their little criminal fake ID enterprises after they saw WTC go up...NO MERCY...You ARE a terrorist...

[3AngelaD]

How 'bout this: People who issue visas at U.S. embassies and consulates must be NATIVE BORN AMERICANS. In the meantime, they should suspend the issuance of any visas until the State Department can get a responsible system up and running. The is the problem worldwide, from Juarez, Mexico (El Paso, Texas) to Saudi Arabia and points in between. One thing that makes it worse is the State Department has never pressed for the consular service, which issues the visas, to be adequately funded. They charge for the visas but these "user fees" go into a general fund, not to strengthen the visa operation. They need to reassess the fee structure so the people who are issued visas are bearing the cost of their processing. Another instance where the executive branch and Congress have been asleep at the wheel

[bureaucrat]

Yeah, this guy has NO LINKS to terrorism and 9/11 .... except that he is a Yemeni citizen who took bribes to provide false papers to the 9/11 hijackers. How can you call that "no connection" to terrorism. Sheesh!

And pimps have "no connection" to prostitution. Drug runners have no connection to illegal drug use. Fences have no connection to burglary. Gary Condit had no connection to Chandra Levy.

Does this strike anyone else as absurd?

[sarasmom]

BTTT

[cardinal4]

I used to live in Jeddah in 1980. The Embassy was there too,until it was moved in 1985 to Riyadh. The Consulate and Embassy employed Yeminis for everything from the motor pool to, as you can see, determining who is worthy of entering the USA.Yet another change to the manual.

[jrewingjr]

Two and a half years! I could get more than that for just punching a towelhead. Maybe some patriotic prisoner will take care of his sentence.

Unless the fear of death is put in them, these opportunistic whores that provide visas, Tennessee drivers' licenses, and other documents to terrorist infiltrators will continue to make a living serving the bad guys.

[Amelia]

Noman faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced Sept. 4. The actual term, however, would be about 2 1/2 years without parole, based on federal guidelines. He would be deported after serving his term, Vilker said.

Not enough. Firing squad, maybe?

[PFC]

Luckily this guy came here for a visit. I doubt the Saudis would have ever arrested him and extradited him.

[stiga bey]

Foreign nationals DO NOT issue visas. Only American citizens do. Yes, like Noman, foreign nationals can assist illegal immigrants with getting fake documents and disguising their true intent, but an American must approve the visa, even when submitted through a travel agency. Foreign-born American citizens can still become diplomats, but they are almost never posted to their country of origin because that would jeopardize their security clearances. Corruption and incomptence is bad enough, but let's not make it worse through mistaken impressions of "foreigners giving American visas."

[GretchenEE]

Great.

Not.

[RightWhale]

Bribes now. Please, don't take bribes, don't let your friends take bribes. It's never a good thing.

[3AngelaD]

Dear Stiga, please clarify. Is there an American citizen who was working with this guy, or what? Shouldn't that person be held accountable too? It was my understanding that employees such as the one described in this story do all the paperwork, and the American several steps up the food chain merely stamps or signs off on the visa, a very sloppy process it seems to me. Regards, AdR

[stiga bey]

My understanding is this: no one has power to issue an American visa except an American consular officer, who is appointed by the Pres specifically to have that power. Not even an American ambassador can issue a visa. Foreign nationals who work at the embassy assist with the paperwork, i.e., entering data in the computer and preparing a case file for each applicant. But it is strictly the duty of the consular officer to review the application, to interview the candidate if necessary, and to approve or disapprove the visa.

My friend, who is a consular officer in the Middle East, says that this article is wrong. If this Noman was arrested in America while "escorting a trade delegation," then he was likely not a State Dept consular employee, but rather an employee of the Dept. of Commerce who has offices there. Commerce's job is to encourage trade with the US, and they pick people who seem like they are good businessmen and recommend them forward to the consulate for visas. It looks like Noman was selecting the businessmen for his Commerce boss, and was letting phony businessman but their way into the delegations. If so, this would ultimately be the fault of the Commerce attache, who is letting his/her office get out of control. The consular officer can still say no, but there is lots of pressure on the State Dept. to "cooperate" with the other Departments at the embassy. Lots of blame to spread around. But I am assured that Noman was not issueing visas.

Essentially, there is the same problem for the consular officers as there is for INS inspectors. They only have a minute or two per alien to make the decision b/c lack of staffing and funding. Mistakes are going to happen.

[neutrino]

Noman, 54, a Yemeni citizen, said he got bribes worth thousands of dollars

My, my. Now why, I wonder, do I keep thinking that one should not expect a leopard to change his spots?

No doubt Noman is another distinguished representative of that well know religion of peace, love, and honesty...islam.

[montag813]

Until the traitorist Saudi cabal in the State Department is removed en masse, this country will continued to be mortally threatened and the people will be shielded from the truth.

The Saudi-paid traitors in our government (and private sector) are as great a threat to this nation as Cold War Communists ever were.

All politicians should boycott the following Saudi-paid consultants and media advisors this election cycle:
Qovis Communications
Sandler-Innocenzi
Patton Boggs
Hill and Knowlton
Burson-Marsteller
Lobbyist Jamie Gallagher