Al-Qaeda Across The Americas(Thanks Bill Clinton for the Visa-Waiver Program)

Radical Muslim terrorist groups have established bases in Latin America and the Caribbean and are poised to direct their jihad at U.S. businesses, military personnel and civilians throughout the region, security experts and intelligence sources tell Insight. These fundamentalists also may be positioned to stage more attacks against the U.S. mainland like those of Sept. 11.

Of particular concern is the possibility that terrorist "sleepers" already have used lax immigration procedures in countries such as Argentina to launder their identities and slip undetected into the United States. U.S. authorities in Buenos Aires frantically are trying to ascertain the whereabouts of tens of thousands of Argentines who entered the United States under a visa-waiver program instituted by Bill Clinton at the insistence of Argentina's then-president Carlos Menem. As former CIA director James Woolsey tells Insight: "I certainly wouldn't put it past al-Qaeda to use Latin America as a route to place its assets in the United States."

Some 6 million people of Muslim descent live in Latin America. Brazil plays host to more than one-fourth of that number; 700,000 live in Argentina, which also is home to the region's largest Jewish population; and there are strong faith-based Muslim communities in Venezuela, Colombia, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Honduras and Bolivia. While practicing a different religion in a largely Roman Catholic bastion, Muslims have lived for generations in the region, with the majority tracing their roots to Syria and Lebanon. Recent immigration and a reawakening by Latin Muslims to their faith also has created links to radical Islamic groups.

Antiterrorism experts say extremist cells tied to Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network are operating in Argentina, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez — whose inner circle includes nationalist military officers who fulminate against a purported "Zionist-NATO" conspiracy — has embraced Saddam Hussein and Muammar Qaddafi in recent visits to Iraq and Libya.

Qaddafi historically has maintained close ties both to the far left and the far right in the region and is known to have established networks throughout the Caribbean, Suriname, Guyana and the West Indies. Bin Laden's rise to fame has allowed him to take over some of those organizations, experts say. In September, officials from Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent traveled to Tripoli and reported promises for more than $21 million in loans, debt relief and grants. Senior Nicaraguan officials have accused Qaddafi of providing funds for the campaign of Sandinista presidential candidate Daniel Ortega, who visited him earlier this year, in the Nov. 4 election.

In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Organization of American States passed a resolution offering security cooperation in support of the United States. But regional realities are sobering. Budgetary and manpower constraints have meant that virtually all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean — Cuba, with an extensive internal and external intelligence network, is the exception — appear unprepared to deal with the Islamic-terrorist challenge. Police and intelligence agencies are underfunded and their members undertrained and underequipped.

The sorry state of Latin American police and security forces, says Miguel Diaz, a former CIA official and director of the South America Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, "makes it almost indispensable for the region's governments to work with the United States. None of the countries of Latin America have any foreign-intelligence expertise except for Cuba — so really they are starting from scratch."

One of the most vexing problems, security officials say, is the so-called "Triple Frontier" border area shared by Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, long a cauldron of multibillion-dollar illegal enterprises such as drug smuggling, money laundering and international weapons trafficking. More than a half-million people live in the area, including 23,000 of Lebanese descent. In early October, Francis Taylor, director of the State Department's Office of Counterterrorism, warned that Islamic extremist organizations, including Hezbollah and Hamas, were both fund raising and proselytizing there. Other U.S. sources say local Muslims also provide a haven for extensive money-laundering operations for extremist groups, with much of the funds repatriated to Lebanon.

Since Sept. 11, the Triple Frontier has come to resemble Casablanca during World War II, with local intelligence and law-enforcement agencies being joined by a number of U.S. counterparts, as well as Israel's Mossad and the German and Spanish secret services. Both Brazil and Argentina have stepped up surveillance efforts in the area, with support from the FBI and the CIA. Paraguay, too, has promised to help, but rampant corruption within its security services and ongoing political turmoil makes its real contribution negligible, analysts say.

Another source of concern is Chavez. On Nov. 1, the Bush administration recalled U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela Donna Hrinak after Chavez held up pictures of dead Afghan children on Venezuelan TV, describing it as a "slaughter of innocents." U.S. intelligence sources say they believe Chavez has been lending support to Colombia's left-wing guerrilla insurgency. Chavez counts among his international followers nationalist military men of various ideological persuasions, including Argentine "Painted Faces" officers loyal to Mohammed Ali Seineldin, a former colonel who worked as an adviser to Panama's one-time dictator, Manuel Noriega.

Two years ago, Chavez sparked a controversy when he sent a letter addressed "Dear compatriot" to Venezuelan-born revolutionary Carlos the Jackal, whose real name is Illich Ramirez Sanchez. Carlos, once hunted by Western security services as one of the world's most wanted terrorist masterminds, is serving a life sentence in France for the 1975 murder of two French secret agents.

In early October, during a visit to Paris, Chavez provoked another firestorm of criticism by suggesting that Carlos' human rights were not being respected. Several senior Venezuelan officials added fuel to the fire by appearing to question whether Carlos — believed to be responsible for some 80 killings carried out in support of Palestinian and other revolutionary causes — was a terrorist. In an interview with El Universal, a Caracas newspaper, Carlos said he supported bin Laden's "revolutionary, anti-imperialist" war and felt "solidarity" toward Chavez' self-styled "Bolivarian revolution."

In the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, a radical Islamic organization, Jamaat-al-Muslimeen, has come under increased scrutiny. On Sept. 19, a man with ties to the Trinidadian organization believed to be linked to bin Laden pleaded guilty in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., federal court to unlawful possession of a machine gun. Federal officials say that Keith Andre Gaude, who was detained in a U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) sting operation, came to Florida to buy as many as 60 AK-47 assault rifles and 10 MAC-10 submachine guns with silencers.

In 1990, Jamaat-al-Muslimeen staged a coup attempt in Port-of-Spain. The prime minister and eight Cabinet members were held hostage for four days, and 23 people died in bombings at the police headquarters, the state TV station and the Parliament building.

In Buenos Aires, U.S. officials anxiously are trying to establish the whereabouts of those tens of thousands of Argentines who entered the U.S. under the visa-waiver program, but for whom there is no documentation of their having returned to Argentina. During the Cold War, Argentina was an important way station for Eastern Bloc agents, particularly East Germans, who sought to change their identities as they made their way to the United States. They did so by acquiring the birth certificates of dead Argentines, a retired FBI counterintelligence specialist tells Insight.

The visa-waiver program instituted in the mid-1990s made a valid passport all that was required for travel to the United States. Senior U.S. law-enforcement officials say that, under Menem, "a lot of people made big bucks" by procuring phony passports through the Argentine Federal Police. U.S. sources in Buenos Aires say they are concerned about a number of fraudulent passports that have been traced to repeated trips from the Middle East to Miami and New York via Buenos Aires.

Menem, currently under house arrest outside of Buenos Aires for his alleged role in an international arms-smuggling ring, has had an ambiguous relationship with Iran, Syria and Libya. In 1986, following the U.S. bombing of Tripoli in retaliation for Libyan-sponsored terrorist attacks against U.S. targets in Europe, then-provincial governor Menem called for the expulsion of Frank Ortiz, the U.S. envoy to Buenos Aires. His 1989 heterodox presidential campaign, supported by Seineldin and former left-wing guerrillas close to Middle Eastern terrorist organizations, reportedly received millions of dollars from Qaddafi.

During his 10 years in office Menem, whose parents migrated to Argentina from Syria, presided over the rehiring of military and police officials with neo-Nazi sympathies to the country's security forces and intelligence services, say his critics. Menem also picked a Syrian-army colonel who barely spoke Spanish to be customs overseer at Buenos Aires' Ezeiza International Airport — a major hub for smuggling in South America.

Following the Sept. 11 attacks, the trial of several Argentine policemen accused of complicity with a 1994 bombing by Islamic terrorists against a Jewish community center began in Buenos Aires. The attack left 85 people dead. It came just two years after the Israeli embassy in Argentina also was leveled. In September 2001, Argentina's law-enforcement minister, Ramon Mestre, linked the attacks to Menem's "promises to the Muslim world, which he did not honor."

One senior U.S. law-enforcement source familiar with the investigation of the community-center bombing called the trial a joke, adding: "Those in the know understand that complicity for the attack reaches pretty high up into Menem's inner circle."

Martin Edwin Andersen, a senior research analyst for Freedom House, is author of a 450-page history of the Argentine police to be published next March in Buenos Aires.

My Senators at the time both voted against conviction. One of them is still in office, John Warner. The point is that they weren't all willing to convict him. Republicans had control of both houses for six out of eight of the Clinton years, but you could hardly tell by what legislation was passed during that period. They did diddly with their majority in both houses and have been losing seats because of it.

What's your excuse now, for the DoJ's failure to even investigate Clinton? Republicans have proven to me that they are spineless and duplicitous. All 49 republican Senators just finished voting with Daschle on the Senate airport security bill. You won't be able to defend that action to my satisfaction, in all probablity.

Just to make you all feel really secure...I worked in U.S. Virgin Islands summer 2000 and routinely saw individuals docking up from other islands in the Carribean. You can sail or motor in just about anywhere and any time you want. Catching a flight to the U.S. is almost like a commuter...no security checks at all!

A large number of the Virgins hate the U.S., or mabe it is just that they hate white people or mabe both I'm not sure which. My 15 year old blonde haired blue eyed insulin dependent son was about to be imprisoned for shop-lifting when we left on the first commuter flight out. (He would have died!) One of my workmates was beaten unconscious by the police the next week and she had to buy her way out trouble. I called Senators McCain and Bingamans offices about our summer but never heard back.

They love to see hurricanes hit, the harder the better...they are their yearly lottery. They bring U.S. aid money that is ALWAYS grossly siphoned off while their infrastructure continues to fall into disrepair. The right amount of money buys ANYTHING with the judges and govenors and politocrats. Clinton visited twice during his presidency...it's his kinda place.

Argentina has been a major problem for the INS. They have a sophisticated counterfeiting system and they are very good. The good Inspectors look very close at anyone from Argentina, but unfortunately most inspectors think that if they are on the Visa Waiver Program, then they are OK.

I heard Congress was thinking of terminating the VWP, but I would not hold my breath.

Also, I hear that the Mexican Amnesty is still alive.

I remember that program-that so called citizenship program, where ONE MILLION people here were granted UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP without EVER taken any courses on what this nation is about and maybe even worse, without ANY background checks. So far, over SIXTY THOUSAND of these people have been DEPORTED at our EXPENSE as the fact that some of them were known criminals in their country of origin begins to surface. But hey, what's a RAPIST next door when the democrats NEED one million more votes. Guess al and bill knew that because of the circles THEY RUN IN, there is little danger of the alien creep raping their daughters. Swine is right, KLT.

And don't forget, ol al himself, NEGATED any updated security measures for airlines and immediately after failing to upgrade the security levels, the DNC received hundreds of thousands of dollars into their coffers from the major airlines. Very sick stuff. The stuff of nightmares. And the stuff that will keep al gore from EVER becoming President. For sure.

Another little update:

In the last month, we have refused entry, because of criminal activity, to two Europeans on the VWP program.

Both obtained visa's from the State Department and returned this week.

Because the State Dept., issued waivers, we have to let them enter.

Sometimes I don't know why I even do this job, it isn't worth the aggravation.

They are very bad people. Intent on power and wealth through WHATEVER means possible and have been able to depend on the many major media outlets to help them wage gain their ends.

We must not assess to the filthy Clintons a level of intelligence that would elevate them above the very sewer they leaked from.

This may sound spooky but as time goes by we will be able to see things pertaining to spiritual wickedness in high places more clearly as being the power behind the powerful figures that are on the scene in this present distress.

These slop-bucket-society Clintons are but tools being used by evil spirits, through their own foul greed they chose this route, to bring about the final days which are fast approaching.

By the way there are thousands of other greedy(for power)evil spirit controlled men and women who will be willing tools even as the Clintons.

STAY TUNED!!

These terrorist goons came to us WHEN THE CLINTONS WHERE RUNNING THE SHOW. NEVER FORGET! THE CLINTONS ARE TO BLAME FOR 911!

As sheik and enviable as the Clintons seemed to be during their time in the barrel they both were nothing more than a duo of bumbling, stumbling stagnasty buffoons who were dupes of the Devil, still are, and even now are more the ever enamored with their own importance which will not end until the hour they will be exposed for their evil deeds.

I further believe they are willingly ignorant of the fate that awaits them as I am also equally convinced they have been given ample opportunity to repent of their foul deeds but have not.
Try as I might I cannot feel sympathy or sorrow for them, even knowing what fate awaits them when they stand before a mighty and righteous God who is not willing that any should perish and have been given space to repent but apparently, so far, they have not, and that because of their arrogance and willingness to lie in opposition to the truth.

EVEN SO COME, LORD JESUS!!

Well stated. It will take 8 years to undo the damage the Clintons did to the institutions of our country. None were spared from their evil, especially the INS. Just as guilty in this is how the media, our forth estate, covered up their crimes of treason for simple partisan reasons. The only good thing to come out of our wake up call from hell is that is the Sheeple have a better understanding of what these commie rats have been doing to our great nation. The look on Hillary's face on the night of GW's speech to the nation said it all. Socialism is DEAD.

I don't think scum Clinton has a care or worry in the world.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton greets an unidentified tourist as he walks around central Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Oct. 29, 2001. Clinton is in Barcelona to address a meeting of business people. Others are unidentified. (AP Photo/EFE, Julian Martin) *SPAIN OUT*

O, BTW, why are illegal Muslim aliens still here?

Because we are still bowing to the doyens of Political Correctness who think all illegal aliens are a benefit to the USA.

Stay well - stay safe - stay armed - Yorktown

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