Suspected Belgian Terrorists & Suicide Bomber Could Have Entered U.S. Without Visa

By Michael Cutler

On Thursday I saw a report on CNN about a woman who detonated a bomb she was carrying in an attempt to kill American soldiers in Iraq. Fortunately she did not kill anyone but herself. What was particularly disturbing about this story is that the woman was not born in the Middle East but was rather a native and citizen of Belgium. She converted to Islam upon her marriage to a citizen of Morocco who was involved with terrorism. I did a bit of searching on the Internet and came up with several articles not only about her, but about the growing crisis of terror cells sprouting in Europe.

The articles make it clear that radical Islam is on the move, moving into countries that are our allies and consequently countries that are participants in the Visa Waiver Program. As you read these articles and note that the law enforcement officials talk about going after the radical Islamists in their country who were intent on attacking U.S. targets in Iraq, remember this: With Belgian passports that they carried, the terrorists who were arrested, and the woman who blew herself up in Iraq, could have easily boarded an airliner and sought entry into the United States without first obtaining a visa for the United States.

Both articles talk about logistic terror cells. These are cells in which the members may not actually carry out an attack but rather act in a supporting role. They may conduct surveillance of a target, they may raise money or provide lodging and false identity documents for those who will ultimately carry out an attack. A logistic cell is to terrorism what a foundation is to a skyscraper. Without a strong foundation, a skyscraper cannot be built. Without logistic support, a terrorist operation cannot be carried out. The presence of a logistic cell is potentially a precursor to an attack either in the country in which the logistic cell is operating or in some other country. Both articles made note of the fact that a number of the suspected terrorists were utilizing false or stolen passports. While not foolproof, the process by which aliens apply for visas offers an additional layer of security. It also provides potential investigative leads and when an alien lies on such an application, this can often result in a prosecution for visa fraud which can be used to take a bad guy of the streets out of action and is often the easiest charge to bring against a suspected terrorist. Yet the Visa Waiver Program is alive and well.

In the wake of the attacks of 9/11 so many politicians went before the cameras hoping for that photo opportunity that would make them look like tigers on the prowl. They issued scathing attacks against anyone and everyone they thought they could point a finger at. We heard so many of them talk about "connecting the dots" and demanding to know why our intelligence wasn't able to prevent the attacks. How many times did we hear members of Congress asking various officials, "What did you know and when did you know it?" They were certainly on the prowl to find someone to blame. If you read these two articles and many others like them that are out there, you realize that the evidence is growing that we are at risk for more terrorist attacks, yet these same strident politicians are trying to conduct business as usual while the warning signs are everywhere if only they would open their eyes. As the saying goes, "None is as blind as he who will not see!"

In the days and weeks after the attacks of September 11 pictures of Bin Laden were published with President Bush's quote about "smoking Bin Laden out" and declaring we would get him "Dead or alive!" In those dark days the bravado evidenced in those articles were understandable. Yet Bin Laden is presumably still out there and there are many more terrorists who are out there with him. If we keep with the Old West vernacular, at the time of risk it is time to "Circle the wagons." In the Old West the strategy of the wagon trains that crossed vast stretches of dangerous terrain on their way west was to form a circle with the wagons when they came under attack. The idea was that the wagons acted as a shield that provided a secure perimeter. It was a simple and often effective strategy to protect the pioneers. Today it is our nation's borders that need to be reinforced to created a secure perimeter and protect the nation but all too many politicians are not willing to do the most basic things. Ending the Visa Waiver Program is not that tough a prospect, but it is something that the administration is unwilling to do. At a time when American citizens in their own country are being inconvenienced in the name of national security it is only reasonable that we do a better job of screening aliens seeking entry into our country. The articles also made it clear that the suspected terrorists were able to easily hide within the large immigrant communities in several countries.

The world is confronting a growing threat of terrorism and our nation needs to act appropriately to protect it citizens. Addressing the illegal immigration crisis and its various components would be a good first step.

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