Posted on 03/29/2003 1:43:11 AM PST by kattracks
WASHINGTON - An Iraqi terror team armed with millions of dollars tried to get smuggled into the U.S. through Mexico to Crawford, Tex. - the site of President Bush's ranch, a law enforcement source said yesterday. The alarming attempt to infiltrate the country occurred this month, the source said.It is not known what the Iraqis planned to do in Crawford, but Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein tried to assassinate Bush's father, the former President George Bush, in 1993.
The unidentified Iraqis wanted to hire smugglers to sneak them into the U.S. because they "wanted to get to the Crawford ranch," according to the well-placed law enforcement source. They also asked a Mexican doctor and a lawyer named Claudio to change about $100 million in Iraqi dinars into U.S. currency - about $325 million.
Secret Service officials would not comment yesterday about the possible threat or the suspects' whereabouts.
The President and First Lady Laura Bush spend most of their downtime on the 1,600-acre Prairie Chapel Ranch, nestled in the central Texas scrubland. Bush used the Texas White House to woo world leaders into his "coalition of the willing" against Saddam.
The assassination attempt on Bush's father came as the former President attended ceremonies in Kuwait celebrating the success of the Gulf War, which ousted Saddam's troops from Kuwait. Because of the failed assassination, then-President Bill Clinton ordered a Tomahawk missile barrage on Iraq.
The current President has not forgotten the attempt to kill his father. A red-faced Bush recently reminded a visitor of the 1993 plot by Saddam, and said, "The SOB tried to kill my dad."
Other plots thwarted
Iraq's attempt to infiltrate the U.S. came to light as U.S. officials announced they had thwarted Iraqi-sponsored terrorism in two foreign countries, as well as plots directed at U.S. targets.
"There are two countries where operations have been compromised, and we have information on plots in other countries," State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said.
Department officials declined to say whether the Mexico report had any connection to those Iraqi terrorist plots.
In both foreign cases, the operatives were arrested, terrorist material was confiscated and the attacks were not carried out, said another State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher.
The U.S. has asked a number of countries to expel suspected Iraqi intelligence officers, based on "the significant threat posed by their presence," Boucher said.
With Thomas M. DeFrank
g
Anyone here from Corpus Christi, TX? We were there around the time of Gulf War I, and I clearly remember the alerts given to beware of Middle Easterners being smuggled in with the illegal Mexicans (and Central and South Americans). This is not a new hole in our security: it's been there all along, and is possibly getting worse.
Subject: Protecting our Borders (including the way to Crawford)
Dear Mr. President:
My prayers are with you and all, during this time of war. Please see the following news report:
WASHINGTON - An Iraqi terror team armed with millions of dollars tried to get smuggled into the U.S. through Mexico to Crawford, Tex. - the site of President Bush's ranch, a law enforcement source said yesterday. The alarming attempt to infiltrate the country occurred this month, the source said.
Mr. President, you are a pro-American, compassionate conservative and on so many issues. But why do you persist in keeping America from protecting its borders?
Citizen's regards,
Arlen Williams
(address)
They don't talk like Mexicans. And Crawford is a small town. Everybody knows everybody.
I don't know. That seems like a half-baked, hair-brained scheme. Even if they paid someone off to do the job for them, the people they paid off would have to have rocks in their head to attack a Presidental compound. I just can't see this scheme as plausible.
They would've never been seen again.
People in Texas know the legend of The King Ranch.
Ditto
All they have to do is appear to be Mexican narcotiocs smugglers, and not only will noone bother them, they'll be protected by the local police.
-archy-/-
That was the SECOND thing that ran through my mind...the third was "What would Clinton have done if the assassination SUCCEEDED?...NOTHING?"
Hopefully, but he might also consider the fact that they were caught is evidence that our borders are sufficiently protected.
Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 0.3109 (fixed official rate since 1982); black market rate - Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 2,000 (December 2001), 1,910 (December 1999), 1,815 (December 1998), 1,530 (December 1997), 910 (December 1996); note - subject to wide fluctuations
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