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About Contact Us CT Blog Experts in the Media CT Library Counterterrorism Foundation Websites & Centers RSS & PDA Feeds Monthly Archives POSTS ON ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR POSTS ON 2008 MUMBAI ATTACK Counterterrorism Blog Panels: Reforming U.S. Counter-Terrorism Assistance Programs, Feb. 12 The 2008 Mumbai Attacks, Dec. 4 Future of Turkey-U.S. Strategic Partnership, May 19 Iran & U.S.: Outlook for Next Decade? April 15 Compañeros de Armas ("Friends in Arms"): Chavez, FARC & South America, March 19 Meta-Terror: Terrorism & the Virtual World, Feb. 29 Evolution of US Counterterrorism Policy, Feb. 12 Terrorism Litigation After Boim Decision, Jan. 28 Holy Land Foundation & Muslim Brotherhood, Dec. 11, 2007 ------------ July 2008 Posts and August 2008 Posts Contributing Experts
Douglas Farah, Editor
Steven Emerson & The Investigative Project on Terrorism Dennis Lormel Bill West Evan Kohlmann Michael Cutler Victor Comras Michael Kraft Dr. Zachary Abuza Dr. Walid Phares Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Olivier Guitta Kenneth Conboy Aaron Mannes David Schenker Animesh Roul Matthew Levitt Jonathan Winer Frank Hyland Roderick Jones Paul Cruickshank Farhana Qazi Lorenzo Vidino Madeleine Gruen James McGinnis Michael Braun Margot Williams, SNS Global, Newslinks Editor Phillip Smyth & Mark Offenbach, Asst. Newslinks Editors EXPERTS' ARCHIVES & BIOS Recent Posts
The End of The Counterterrorism Blog
Modeling Middle East Turmoil How to Deal with Islamist Movements in Post-Revolutionary Regimes? Asserting Liberal Values: The Future of British and U.S. Counterradicalization Strategies Pakistan and Blasphemy Law: Assassination of Liberal, Secular and Progressive Personalities Continues ! What Cargo May Be Aboard Iranian Warships Transiting the Suez Canal? Egypt and Emerging Trends The Middle East: Democracies or More Terrorism? Two Scenarios on Egyptian Succession and One Vision of the Brotherhood The Australian Take on the Terrorism Threat Experts' Books
Walid Phares: The Confrontation and "The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracy" and “Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies Against America”
Michael Kraft & Yonah Alexander (Editors): "Evolution of U.S. Counterterrorism Policy" Douglas Farah & Zachary Abuza in Countering the Financing of Terrorism Douglas Farah: "Merchant of Death" and "Blood From Stones: The Secret Financial Network of Terror" Michael Jacobson: "The West at War: U.S. and European Counterterrorism Efforts, Post–September 11" Daveed Gartenstein-Ross: "My Year Inside Radical Islam: A Memoir" Steven Emerson: "Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the US" and "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us" Victor Comras & Matthew Levitt (contributors): "Terrorism Financing and State Responses," Stanford University Press Matthew Levitt: "Negotiating Under Fire: Preserving Peace Talks in the Face of Terror Attacks" and "Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad" and "Targeting Terror: U.S. Policy toward Middle Eastern State Sponsors and Terrorist Organizations, Post-September 11" Zachary Abuza: "Political Islam and Violence in Indonesia" and "Militant Islam in Southeast Asia: Crucible of Terror" Lorenzo Vidino "Al Qaeda in Europe: The New Battleground of Global Jihad" Kenneth Conboy: "The Second Front: Inside Asia’s Most Dangerous Terrorist Network" Evan Kohlmann: "Al-Qaida's Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network" Credits
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Bill West Archives
Feds Nab Suspected Terror Traitor In the MakingBy Bill WestFederal agents in Hawaii on Friday arrested an American born Muslim named Abdel Hameed Shehadeh based on a federal criminal complaint issued in Brooklyn, New York charging him with making false statements to federal officials in a matter involving international... Is Islam > First Amendment at the State Department?By Bill WestThis is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the... Jeopardy Doubled? Think Twice...By Bill WestYoussef Megahed, an Egyptian former engineering student at the University of South Florida in Tampa, was acquitted in April of Federal terrorism-related felony charges. Days after his acquittal, Special Agents from DHS' Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested... A View Toward a National Security CourtBy Bill WestYesterday, the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) ran an article reflecting upon what may be an existing template for what some have called for in the ongoing legal battles combating terrorism...the creation of a National Security Court. Such a court... What To Do With Terrorist Aliens?By Bill WestThis topic has been covered before in the CTB. There was just a ruling in US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria that should remind us of the difficulties dealing with such matters, even when the... Border Security Improvement? No Time SoonBy Bill WestTwo weeks ago it was reported GAO determined that DHS would not be able to implement the departure control provisions of the US VISIT system. US VISIT, notably covered in the CTB, is the system DHS uses to track the... Qatanani Deportation Case - Something Dis’d and MissedBy Bill WestLast week, the Immigration Court removal (deportation) case in New Jersey against Mohammad Qatanani, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, ended when the Immigration Judge ruled against the Government and in favor of Qatanani, granting him... Al-Arian Released On BailBy Bill WestSami Al-Arian, convicted of supporting the terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), who has served a 57-month federal prison sentence for that offense is now under what is believed to be a final removal order (deportation order) requiring his departure... Are There Lessons To Be Learned At USF?By Bill WestToday, Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed, an Egyptian student in Tampa, Florida, entered a guilty plea in Federal Court in Tampa to one count of providing material support to terrorists. The plea stems from the case wherein he and a cohort,... KSA Coddling Continues?By Bill WestAndrew Cochran’s excellent articles below about the Islamic Saudi Academy highlight, yet again, the linkage of religious radicalism and terrorism and, in this particular case, lineage directly to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our supposed ally in the ongoing war... National Lab Security Failure - We Get What We Pay ForBy Bill WestToday, the Washington Times reported the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, that conducts research on America’s nuclear weapons and houses special nuclear material for that research, failed a crucial counter-terror security exercise (also reported in today’s CTB Newslinks section).... A Reminder About Sami Al-ArianBy Bill WestLately, we hear much from supporters of detained ex-University of South Florida computer engineering professor Sami Al-Arian, who pleaded guilty to (was convicted of) the Federal felony violation of providing assistance and support to members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad... Palestinian Islamic “Internal Struggle” Claims Responsibility for Murdering Two Israeli GuardsBy Bill WestThe AP has reported three terrorist organizations...well, in the official PC lexicon of the Bush Administration, extremist groups...have claimed responsibility for the Friday shooting attack at a factory in Nitzanei Shalom, Israel that left two security guards dead. Among those... Lingo Voodoo Fed Style - Deja Vu All Over AgainBy Bill WestIt was the late 1970s and I was a rookie INS agent working the streets of Baltimore and the Maryland suburbs of D.C. Jimmy Carter was President. His Immigration Commissioner was a political crony from Texas named Leonel Castillo. Castillo,... Good News / Bad News Concerning US VISITBy Bill WestThe Department of Homeland Security will reportedly be issuing regulations requiring commercial airlines and cruise lines to begin collecting the biometric identifiers, notably digital fingerprints and photographs, of foreign travelers as they depart the United States. This is an effort... Euro-Jihadists and Immigration Control - Deja Voodoo All Over AgainBy Bill WestIn recent days there have been news reports relating to the CIA Director expressing concerns over terrorist operatives emanating from al-Qaeda camps in the Pakistani badlands who are Westerners traveling with European passports, able to enter the United States via... Baitfish, Barracuda and Al CaponeBy Bill WestJeff Breinholt’s excellent CTB article today, “The Value of Aggressive Enforcement,” is a strong reminder of the historically proven value of the multi-agency task force approach in targeting complex and difficult criminal organizations. This has been carried into the national... Immigration and National Security - Back To The FutureBy Bill WestTwo stories have just surfaced in the media that once again demonstrate the direct linkage of immigration issues and national security. First, we learn the FBI and DHS are concerned about the possibility of Americans or Europeans trained by al-Qaeda... Secret Evidence - Follow-upBy Bill WestA few comments following Jeff Breinholt’s excellent article concerning “secret” evidence in counter-terrorism cases, particularly since I was one of the prime-time players in the Al-Arian, et al caper that generated so much heat on the topic during the 1990s.... USA Coddles KSABy Bill WestFor those who follow the state of religious freedom, or more properly the extreme lack thereof, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and all the barbaric insanity that can and does flow from the extreme practice of Islam as... “Al Capone” Vindicated Yet AgainBy Bill WestAs the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) has just reported (below), a Federal indictment against Yaser Bushnaq for naturalization fraud (18 USC 1425) was unsealed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The details of the... Another Reason To Deport Visa WaiverBy Bill WestAn article in today’s Scotsman provides yet additional ammunition in the argument against the US Visa Waiver Program. The report discusses the recruitment of up to 1500 white, non-Muslim Britons within the British prison system by al-Qaeda to be terrorist... Boston Charity Convictions - Quick Reminder, Quick GlimpseBy Bill WestAs Andy Cochran notes in his post below, Care International, Inc. officials have just been convicted in US District Court in Boston of Federal fraud and related charges. The crux of the case, as presented by the Government, stemmed from... Bhutto Assassination A Reminder This Is A Real WarBy Bill WestToday's assassination in Pakistan of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto should be a stark reminder that terrorists are engaged in a very real war against modern civilized society. Bhutto had her own ethically questionable background; but her current public political... A Very Big BatBy Bill WestWithin the past week or so, we have learned (or re-learned) the following: • al-Qaeda is recruiting western/European Muslim radicals who can easily enter Europe and the US, including those who can utilize the US Visa Waiver Program with European... Hizballah Mole Case Reflects Depth of ThreatBy Bill WestThe emerging prosecution case against the former FBI and CIA officer in Detroit who has just pleaded guilty to various Federal felonies stemming from her apparent fraudulent infiltration of those agencies demonstrates the threat posed by operatives and sympathizers of... Another Little Noticed Victory for the USGBy Bill WestOutside of central Florida (Orlando), there will be little attention paid to a ruling just handed down by the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. The case involves the criminal conviction appeals of two defendants convicted in 2004... Immigration Fraud and National Security Threats - Deja Vu All Over AgainBy Bill WestOn September 24, the Cybercast News Service ran a story about a GAO report issued September 21 reflecting that our Diversity Visa program was at notable risk of fraud abuse and that risk was particularly vulnerable to misuse by foreign... Underutilized Law Enforcement Tool Finally Gaining Some Traction And Can Aid CT EffortsBy Bill WestOn September 17, the Family Security Foundation ran an excellent article concerning the little known “Section 287(g)” provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). What is particularly interesting about “287(g)” is that it has existed as Federal law in... Euro-Terror Plots + Visa Waiver = Sober ReminderBy Bill WestThe past few days have realized arrests in Denmark and Germany against alleged al-Qaeda linked terror operatives suspected of plotting major attacks against Western targets, including US military facilities and personnel in Germany. Initial reports indicate at least some of... Pre-Designation Argument Is SmokeyBy Bill WestThe ongoing trial in US District court in Dallas against former officials of the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) has once again surfaced defense arguments related to pre-designation of Hamas and other groups by the US Government as "officially" designated terrorist... Padilla Case Proves System WorksBy Bill WestJose Padilla and his two co-defendants in their Miami Federal terror trial have been convicted of all counts by a trial jury in US District Court today. After several months of trial, the US Government proved its case against the... Al-Qaeda Threatens US From Europe - So What Else Is New?By Bill WestThe AP is reporting the “new” intelligence concerns about Al-Qaeda operatives making their way into Europe and from there being able to readily enter the United States via the Visa Waiver program posing as or really being Euro-citizens. Do they... A Tale of Two Deportation CasesBy Bill WestThere is the enlightening, if disheartening, story of Ahmed Zaoui in New Zealand. Zaoui, an Algerian, arrived in New Zealand in 2002 traveling on a false passport and was summarily arrested and detained as an illegal alien. He sought refugee... Bangladeshi War Crimes Fugitive Deported From USBy Bill WestA former Bangladeshi army Lt. Colonel who was convicted of murdering the “founding father” of Bangladesh in a 1975 coup and who has been a wanted fugitive for that crime since his conviction in 1998, was finally (reportedly) deported from... Yet Another Reminder of the Security "Cost" of Illegal ImmigrationBy Bill WestOn June 15, the New Zealand Herald ran a story about an Algerian “refugee” the authorities there have been dealing with since he arrived in that country with a false passport in December 2002 and then requested refugee status. After... Is This What Is Meant By "Operation Iraqi Freedom?"By Bill WestMore than four years ago the United States invaded and occupied Iraq, we have been told, as part of the ongoing war against radical Islamic terror that threatens us. Clearly, the American people and our political leadership have a wide... Immigration Ramifications of the JFK PlotBy Bill WestThe take-down of the suspected radical Islamic terror cell threatening to blow up JFK airport yesterday highlights, yet again, key national security issues related to our immigration system. The alleged ringleader of the plot, Russell Defreitas, is reported to be... Immigration Ramifications of Recent Pew PollBy Bill WestSince the May 22 release of the Pew research poll findings related to views held by Muslims in America, there has been much analysis and discussion about what it all means. The information from the poll is clearly useful, and... Immigration “Reform” Will Be National Security DisasterBy Bill WestLast year it appeared we dodged the bullet when proposed immigration reforms died on “The Hill.” Unfortunately, the mad rush to “do something” has taken over the common sense of too many of our political leaders and we may actually... Thousands Of Iraqi “Refugees” May Be Coming To USBy Bill WestOn April 18, the Washington Times reported the US Government has agreed to “accept” up to twenty-five thousand Iraqi “refugees” who fled Iraq as a result of the war there. The report quoted Ellen Sauerbrey, assistant secretary of state for... Some US Diplomats & Politicians Think MB = “Moderate” Brotherhood - They Should Think TwiceBy Bill WestMuch has recently been reported, including here in the CT Blog by Andrew Cochran today, about the international Islamist movement Muslim Brotherhood (MB), founded and based in Egypt, and its involvement with and support for radical fundamentalist Islamic organizations around... Border Insecurity As America Faces WMD TerrorBy Bill WestA few days ago, a rickety wooden sailboat overloaded with some 100 illegal Haitians penetrated our nation's coastal defenses in south Florida. The Haitians made landfall just north of Miami near a fire station along the beach and, thanks to... FCI Can Complement CTBy Bill WestYesterday, the Washington Times reported that Joel Brenner, the chief of the new Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, stated in an interview that America is facing substantial espionage threats from foreign intelligence services, particularly those of China, Cuba, Iran... Cuban Bio-Weps a Threat to US?By Bill WestThe Miami Herald reported Wednesday that a Cuban defector who was a Cuban army colonel in charge of their military medical services for ten years has now publicly stated the Cuban government is involved in developing and stockpiling biological weapons.... CAP Releases Its Second Terrorism Index SurveyBy Bill WestThe Center for American Progress has just released its second bi-annual “Terrorism Index” survey conducted of more than 100 foreign policy and counter-terrorism arena experts. The nonpartisan results are informative and perhaps not necessarily good news for senior policy makers... Irksome Iraq IronyBy Bill WestAndy Cochran, on February 6, posted about Iraqi member of parliament Jamal Jafaar Mohammed, who may have been convicted of terrorism crimes in Kuwait from 1984, including an attack against the US embassy there in 1983, and is alleged by... Chicago HAMAS Verdicts; Bad PassportsBy Bill WestSeveral other CTB contributors have expertly commented on yesterday’s verdicts in the Chicago HAMAS support trial wherein the two defendants were acquitted on the more serious racketeering charges and convicted of “lesser” felony obstruction violations. The defendants and their many... National Security and Immigration - No DoubtsBy Bill WestABC News has reported that al-Qaeda in Iraq may have attempted to infiltrate terrorist operatives into the United States to conduct attacks by utilizing student visas to effect entry into this country, much the same way many of the 9/11... Cleveland Imam Linked to PIJ is DeportedBy Bill WestFawaz Damra, the Cleveland Imam convicted in 2004 of lying on his naturalization documents about his links to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other radical Islamists, and who subsequently had his naturalized US citizenship revoked, was deported the other... DHS & US VISIT...Additional CommentBy Bill WestI have a few follow-up comments to my colleague Mike Cutler’s excellent posting below about the plan by DHS to abandon efforts to implement the departure control provisions of the US VISIT entry/exit border security system. Mike and I have... “Religious” Rahman Reminds Us...By Bill WestThe FBI has issued an alert to US law enforcement concerning potential terrorist attacks stemming from the possible death of imprisoned Shiekh Omar Abdel Rahman, an Egyptian Islamic cleric affiliated with the conspirators in the first World Trade Center bombing,... Have We Had Enough?By Bill WestToday, there was a story in the Ontario, California Inland Valley Daily Bulletin concerning the grossly abused and mismanaged religious worker visa program administered by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).... If It Worked For Al Capone, It Can Work For Al-QaedaBy Bill WestA report today in the New York Daily News discussed the findings of a study by New York University's Center of Law and Security related to the Federal Government’s anti-terrorism investigation and prosecution efforts since the 9/11 attacks. That study... Torturer Toto Tells Terrorist Tale of Immigration WoeBy Bill WestThere was some justice given out the other day in Federal civil court in New York. Unfortunately, it received only a little notice in the media. It deserved a lot more attention. The case involved a civil lawsuit brought against... Terrorists, Traitors and CitizenshipBy Bill WestAs reported extensively in the media over the past two days, including here in the CT Blog, Adam Gadahn was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in southern California for treason and providing material support to al-Qaeda. Gadahn, a 28... GWOT LockboxBy Bill WestMore than five years out from the 9/11 attacks, our nation still grapples with who the enemy really is as much as how to fight that enemy. In this 21st Century war, America and its allies, and those allies vary... Tariq Ramadan Denied US VisaBy Bill WestTariq Ramadan, the controversial Swiss Muslim professor previously denied entry into the United States after he was offered a teaching position at Notre Dame two years ago, has officially been denied another US entry visa according to published media reports... Missouri CDL Case Demonstrates Feds Are On The JobBy Bill WestYesterday the Department of Justice announced the indictment of fifteen defendants in Federal Court in Springfield, Missouri on a sixty-two count mail fraud, false document and conspiracy indictment. The case stemmed from a multi-agency Federal, State and local investigation targeting... Something Good From the Visa Waiver Program?By Bill WestOn this fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it is reflective of how immigration law enforcement has changed since that fateful day relative to national security and counter-terrorism matters. Pre-9/11, immigration enforcement was a low-key albeit important support component of... LA Deportation Case Demonstrates Much That Is Wrong With Our Immigration “System”By Bill WestFor the past two years, the US government has been trying to deport Abdel Jabbar Hamdan, a Palestinian who the Government has charged is an illegal alien for having overstayed his nonimmigrant student visa when he first entered the United... Firebrand Islamic Cleric’s True Color Shows Through In Beirut - It’s YellowBy Bill WestOmar Bakri Mohammed, who lived in the United Kingdom for some 18 years receiving social security benefits and who pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden, has been banned from returning to Britain after a trip to Lebanon last year as... A Terrorism Related Deportation Case Can Be The Victim Of SuccessBy Bill WestWhen is a successful deportation case not a successful deportation case? When the Government cannot actually deport the deportee, even after legally procuring a final removal order against the alien Respondent. This becomes particularly frustrating and troublesome when the alien... Miami Immigration Case Sets Solid Precedent For Potential Use In Terrorism & Security ArenaBy Bill WestLionel Jean-Baptiste is now a Haitian citizen who is a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. He is also a convicted drug trafficker who is detained at the Krome Detention Center near Miami, Florida pending removal (deportation) proceedings... Terror Threat On Southern Border - There Are Already Cases To Prove ItBy Bill WestThanks to IT expert and CT Blog regular reader Timothy Thompson, we learn the deportation case in Seattle against an African Muslim Imam is proving to be yet another indicator the US - Mexican border poses a very real threat... Return of Euro-Jihadis a Threat to AmericaBy Bill WestToday, the Washington Times ran a report that publicizes a threat known for some time to Western intelligence and law enforcement agencies. This is the threat posed by radical Islamic Jihadis from Europe who infiltrated into Iraq to fight with... Immigration, Fraud and TerrorBy Bill WestToday, pro-immigration law enforcement crusader Michelle Malkin posted on her Blog a stark reminder of the linkage between illegal immigration, document fraud and terrorism. With the release of the security video of the hijacked American Airlines jetliner attack on the... Sami Into The SunsetBy Bill WestToday, as reported earlier by Steve Emerson on this Blog and in other media outlets, Sami Al-Arian was sentenced in Federal court to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to one felony count linking him to support for the... Immigration Reform + "Benefits" = FailureBy Bill WestThe various immigration reform proposals being considered by Congress that contain provisions for "guest workers" or any other form of legalization/amnesty by any other name, and it really is that no matter how the politicians try to sugar-coat the semantics,... Immigration Reform Is Critical to National SecurityBy Bill WestThe national debate about how to reform and improve Americas massive immigration problems is heating up dramatically. There are many competing interests in all this that will seek their own agenda. What should be remembered are how critical immigration issues... Some Afghan Government Officials Should Be Added to the US Immigration Exclusion ListBy Bill WestToday, the New York Sun reported about the Afghan man, Abdul Rahman, who is facing trial and possible execution in a court in Kabul for the heinous offense of...converting from Islam to Christianity some fifteen years ago while working as... Hamastine could become a deportation dilemmaBy Bill WestThe Tampa Tribune ran a report today about attorneys for Sameeh Hammoudeh filing a writ of habeas corpus in US District Court on his behalf. Hammoudeh is the former co-defendant of accused Palestinian Islamic Jihad US-based leader Sami Al-Arian in... Yale Taliban...This is What They Were Thinking?By Bill WestOn March 1, AFP and Yahoo News carried an article wherein a US Department of State (DOS) spokesman, Adam Ereli, claimed "there was nothing improper about giving a visa to a former spokesman for the Taliban who has been studying... What Were They Thinking?By Bill WestShortly after the 9/11 attacks President Bush could not have been clearer in stating what was supposed to be the firm American Government position concerning terrorists and terrorism supporters. He said you were either with America against terrorism or with... US Ports, the UAE and US visasBy Bill WestThere may be a number of reasons to not allow Dubai Ports World (DPW) from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to take control of operations in several major US ports. Various Congressional representatives and terrorism and security experts have enumerated... Illegal Aliens Arrested Working at Chemical Weapons DepotBy Bill WestOn February 10, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that agents from its Salt Lake City, Utah field office had arrested nine suspected illegal aliens from Mexico working for a contractor on the Dugway Proving Ground located... Torturers, Terrorists and IraqBy Bill WestIn May 2004, I wrote an article concerning the potential of US law enforcement and intelligence agencies, led particularly by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), identifying and pursuing former Saddam Hussein regime operatives who served as members... US Response to the Terror State of Hamas-stan Should Include Immediate Immigration DenialBy Bill WestThe Palestinian people have voted and duly elected a government in their territories that will be dominated and controlled by an internationally recognized terrorist organization (FTO), Hamas. Realistically, Israel may quickly decide to respond to this with severe unilateral security... The ACLU and Al-Arian, Part II?By Bill WestYesterday, fellow CT Blog contributor Steve Emerson, who is also the Executive Director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, wrote an outstanding article about how the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is apparently incapable of finding a Palestinian terror suspect... Miami ? Colombia Bust Highlights Border Security ThreatBy Bill WestMedia reports today revealed the arrests in Colombia on Thursday of 19 suspects allegedly involved in a passport forgery ring. Among those arrested are eight of ten defendants indicted in Miami for providing material support to the Colombian terrorist organization... Massive Immigration Benefit Fraud a Threat to National SecurityBy Bill WestOn January 13, the US Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a press release announcing the takedown of a large-scale immigration benefit fraud scheme in the Newark, New Jersey area. The ICE announcement noted the arrest of an... Damra Departs, Sooner Than Later It Would Appear?By Bill WestThe Governments case against Fawaz Damra has been long and circuitous. Damra is/was the Imam of the reputed largest mosque in Ohio near Cleveland. He was also convicted in June 2004 of lying on his US naturalization documents about his... Immigration and National Security - Looking Back and Looking AheadBy Bill West2006 will certainly see changes in American immigration policies. Notwithstanding Congressional diversions caused by NSA domestic surveillance and indicted lobbyists, it is quite likely some form of immigration reform bill will surface for debate in both the House and Senate,... Iraqi elections usher in democracy over there, but nag us here (again) about dual-citizenship?By Bill WestThe celebration of newly established democracy in Iraq with their national (some might call them international) elections is certainly a good thing. We can all hope this new democracy succeeds and we can all hope the cost in US lives... Tampa PIJ (Mis)TrialBy Bill WestAs virtually all readers of this Blog know by now, the federal trial jury in Tampa, Florida last week stunningly returned not guilty verdicts on nearly half the counts against Sami Al-Arian, fully acquitted two of his co-defendants and acquitted... Saudis Are Officially Religious Persecutors ? So Why Don?t Our Feds Officially Prosecute Saudi Officials?By Bill WestThe United States Department of State issues an annual report concerning religious freedom in countries around the world. The report for 2004, issued in September of last year, designated eight countries as countries of particular concern. Saudi Arabia was one... Immigration Benefits?Will They Ever Learn?By Bill WestOn October 3, the Washington Times ran a report about allegations that some adjudication officers working in the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) agency, the immigration benefit agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that took over the... A New TSA Program Looks Good?Should Other DHS Agencies Pay Attention?By Bill WestThe Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has just issued new regulations allowing limited general aviation (GA) flight traffic in and out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) near Washington, DC. The new rules should become effective and operational by the... FAST-Tracking Naturalization While US At War With Terrorists?Is That A Good Idea?By Bill WestIn January 2004, I wrote an article published in FrontPage magazine concerning the issue of terrorist aliens slipping through the Governments national security immigration net and becoming naturalized US citizens. That had been a problem going on for many years,... A Founding Father of the Radical Islamic Terror War Visits the US, and Our UN Ambassador Can?t Make Time for Some of His American VictimsBy Bill WestToday, the New York Sun ran an article about the soon-to-occur visit by recently elected Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the United Nations General Assembly. He has been granted a restricted entry US visa as a foreign head of state,... Katrina Response - Another Quick ObservationBy Bill WestIt's becoming increasingly clear the Federal response in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina has been less than stellar. It finally seemed to be getting underway in a major way as of Friday. The inevitable inquiries, investigations and reviews will undoubtedly... Security Chaos in Hurricane Aftermath ? What Does It Mean for the Future?By Bill WestThe tragic disaster facing the Gulf Coast in the wake of hurricane Katrina is demonstrating the Governments ability to respond to a widespread catastrophe within the United States for the first time since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. How the Department... Able Danger?Back to the FutureBy Bill WestThis past week has seen the revelation by Pennsylvania Congressman Curt Weldon that a formerly secret military intelligence unit called Able Danger had identified Mohamed Atta and three other of the 9/11 hijackers as US-linked al-Qaeda operatives as early as... Another 9/11 Lesson to be Learned?By Bill WestThe New York Times published a report today claiming, in part, a small, highly classified military intelligence unit identified Mohammed Atta and three other future hijackers as likely members of a cell of Al Qaeda operating in the United States.... Border (Non) ControlBy Bill WestA newly released report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) titled Modernizing Americas Welcome Mat: The Implementation of US-VISIT is a detailed review and analysis of the biometric border control system that was implemented shortly after the 9-11 terrorist... Update on Thai Passport CaperBy Bill WestYesterday's arrest of an Algerian-born Brit in Bangkok while allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 450 forged European passports out of Thailand and into Scotland is raising the investigative interests of Scotland Yard. A Daily Mail report today indicates Thai... Thai Passport Arrest Another Reminder Why US Visa Waiver Program Should Be ScrappedBy Bill WestMy fellow CT Blogger and former INS colleague Mike Cutler and I have frequently discussed how the US Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of some 27 mostly European nations to enter the United States as temporary visitors without applying... London Attacks Should Remind Us of ?Blackhawk Down?By Bill WestAs the investigation into the 7/7 and 7/21 terror attacks in London continues to make headway, we are now learning that at least some of the suspects have links to and are from Somalia. This really should not be surprising,... Liberty & Security vs. Terror ? an American PerspectiveBy Bill WestI wonder how the devil is feeling nowadays, since his lair has frozen over. The likes of me, a 29-year law enforcement veteran who spent half his career working organized crime and national security cases, has found common ground with... Keeping out Terror IncitersBy Bill WestShortly after the 7/7 terrorist bombing attacks in London, PM Tony Blair announced the British government would quickly move to pass stronger new laws that would allow the exclusion and deportation of foreign nationals who made statements and took other... NC ICE Operation Succeeds, but Draws Fire from Fellow FedsBy Bill WestThere is an old saying, Let no good deed go unpunished. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in North Carolina who conducted the investigation and sting operation earlier this month that successfully led to the arrest of 48 illegal aliens... Brit Terror Suspects Have US Ties?No Surprise!By Bill WestAs the investigation of the 7/7 London terror attacks evolves, we are now learning at least two of the suspects have ties to and likely spent time in the United States. Magdy Mahmoud Mustafa el-Nashar, the Leeds University biochemistry professor... Border MadnessBy Bill WestThe Chief of the US Border Patrol, David Aguilar, just testified before the House appropriations subcommittee on homeland security. The Chiefs testimony concerning the Border Patrols apprehension of non-Mexican illegal aliens along the US-Mexico border was, unfortunately, both disturbing and... Bolstering Transit Security the Old Fashioned WayBy Bill WestThe London terrorist bombing attacks, as did the Madrid 3/11 attacks, again heightened the need for increased security for Americas rail and bus transit systems. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the US Government spent billions of dollars enhancing... Euro-Jihadists and MoreBy Bill WestAs the investigation into the London terrorist bombings continues, it will likely become apparent that radical Islamic jihadists who are either long-term residents of Europe or native-born European citizens were involved in the attacks. Europe, due to exceptionally liberal immigration... Bad News, Some Good News?By Bill WestToday, we are again faced with the tragedy of civilization being attacked by murderous barbarians with the terrorist bombings in London. We will learn more as the ensuing investigation unfolds, and no doubt the perpetrators will be identified and hopefully... Illegals + Fake Docs + Real Nukes = BIG ProblemsBy Bill WestThe Associated Press and Washington Post today reported that sixteen suspected illegal alien construction workers with false immigration documents were able to enter and work in the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant near Knoxville, Tennessee.... Immigration Angle to the Enhanced SEC NS RoleBy Bill WestVictor Comras excellent post yesterday concerning expanding Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversight of US-based companies doing business in sanctioned countries poses some interesting potential relative to immigration issues, as well. Such companies doing business in sanctioned countries that file... The Posada Case ? Goose or Gander?By Bill WestOn Monday, June 13, accused illegal and suspected terrorist alien Luis Posada Carriles, who was born in Cuba and is a naturalized Venezuelan citizen, will have his initial hearing before an Immigration Judge in El Paso, Texas, where he is... Tampa PIJ Defendant Sentenced in Separate Fraud CaseBy Bill WestThis past Friday, Sameeh Taha Hammoudeh, who is one of three codefendants scheduled to begin trial in Federal court in Tampa on June 6 with Sami Al-Arian for allegedly providing support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), was sentenced along... American Jihadists?By Bill WestOver this Memorial Day weekend, two US citizens were arrested by Federal authorities for conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaeda. The suspects, Tarik Ibn Osman Shah, a martial arts expert, and Rafiq Sabir, a medical doctor, were arrested in... Evil Plus EvilBy Bill WestThe Chief Prosecutor and Chief Investigator for the UNbacked special war crimes court in Sierra Leone have declared they have evidence that former Liberian dictator Charles Ghankay Taylor, who is wanted by that tribunal for crimes against humanity, has been... Sinn Fein Lobbyist Denied Entry into USBy Bill WestThe Washington Times/AP has reported that Rita OHare, who has been Sinn Feins senior lobbyist in the US since 1998, was denied her special visa to reenter the United States after a recent trip to Ireland. OHare, who is reported... ?More on PosadaBy Bill WestOn the heels of the ICE announcement today that Luis Posada Carriles was formally charged in deportation proceedings and is being held without bond, a few follow up points should be noted.... Update on Posada CaseBy Bill WestICE issued a press release today concerning the further action they have taken in the case of suspected terrorist alien Luis Posada Carriles, who was arrested by ICE agents in Miami, Florida yesterday after he left a "semi-clandestine" news conference... Problematic PosadaBy Bill WestCuban exile and naturalized Venezuelan citizen Luis Posada Carriles, who is a fugitive from Venezuela, that country seeking to extradite him in connection with the case of a 1976 bombing of a Cubana airliner for which Posada was twice acquitted... PC Interference Stalls a Little Progress with Immigration Police Work in LABy Bill WestBy now everyone should know that Los Angeles has a huge criminal alien problem. Many of those foreign hoods are gang members from Mexico and other Latin American countries, as well as Asian and other Pacific Rim nations, but also... NYC Arrest Shows Feds Getting it RightBy Bill WestThe New York Post Online Edition today reported that Tariq Javid, a suspected ringleader of a Pakistani-based terror organization named Sipah-e-Sahaba, was arrested in New York yesterday on a Federal criminal complaint that he allegedly lied on his immigration forms... Somalia Demonstrates How Vexing & Complex Immigration Issues Can BeBy Bill WestRemember the case of Somali alien Keyse Jama? He is the refugee who became a criminal alien in Minnesota who was placed in deportation proceedings and appealed his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming he shouldnt... Arizona Minutemen a Cautious SuccessBy Bill WestAs the Minuteman Project on the Arizona border with Mexico nears its two-thirds mission milestone, passing without incident and claiming to have reported hundreds of illegal alien border crossers to the Border Patrol, and with the statistics reflecting a dramatic... Immigration Fraud and Terror?Yet AgainBy Bill WestNot that anyone with common sense needed a reminder, but yesterdays unsealing of a Federal indictment in New York against three defendants already in custody in Britain, charging them with four terrorism-related counts plotting to attack financial institution targets in... When Will Cleveland Imam Go To Immigration Court?By Bill WestLast month, Fawaz Mohammed Damrah (aka Damra), the Imam of Clevelands largest mosque, lost his appeal before the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stemming from his conviction last summer of having obtained his naturalization unlawfully by concealing his links... Employment Visa Threat ? Part IIBy Bill WestThe March 29 CT Blog posting relating to the issue of employment based visas, particularly the H and L visas and the recent exceeding of the Congressional cap in the issuance of H visas by US Citizenship and Immigration Services,... Employment Visas Can Pose a Security ThreatBy Bill WestOn March 26, the Florida Sun-Sentinel ran an AP report about U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), the immigration benefits agency under DHS, exceeding the Congressionally mandated ceiling on H1-B "temporary skilled worker" visas. These visas, along with a similar... Suspected Religious Persecutor Denied Entry Into USBy Bill WestThe New York Times today released a Reuters report confirming the US State Department revoked the visitors visa of Indian Gujarat state chief minister Narendra Modi. The reason for the visa revocation is reported to be Modis alleged involvement in... Miami Denaturalization Case Bodes Well for National SecurityBy Bill WestA report in the Miami Herald from March 8 notes a case that is a step closer to becoming a Federal legal precedent...wherein the issue of "Good Moral Character" (GMC) and lack thereof in the naturalization process is reinforced as... PIJ Chief Caught on Tape Ordering AttackBy Bill WestA story just out in the Israel National News.com (and listed in todays news column) reports that Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), since 1995, who is based in Damascus, Syria, was caught on tape... DNI Selected - Next Move Will Be His StaffBy Bill WestThe nomination of Ambassador John Negroponte to be the Nations first Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is a welcome move toward completion of one of the key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission recommendations regarding reform of the US Intelligence Community.... PIJ Defendant in Tampa Pleads Guilty in Separate CaseBy Bill WestAs reported in todays News Box section on the Blog, an AP report cites a Tampa Tribune article noting that Sameeh Hammoudeh, one of the defendants in the Tampa Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) prosecution case and one who is also... Iraqi Elections - Good News Surfaces "Dual Citizenship" IssueBy Bill WestThe apparent success of the Iraqi elections is cause to celebrate for the US and Iraqis seeking freedom in their homeland. Much was made of expatriate Iraqis in the United States voting in the elections, with senior US Government officials... Supreme Court Sending Immigration Message ? Deport Deportable AliensBy Bill WestRecent Supreme Court immigration related cases make it clear the Court supports treating aliens fairly and humanely and with appropriate judicial due process; but a Somali case originating in Minnesota also makes it clear the Court believes aliens who are... Border BadlandsBy Bill WestSince the Old West, the US-Mexican border has been a place of intrigue and controversy, with its share of rogues, bandits and smugglers chased by a variety of good-guys with badges on both sides of the border. Now, however, there... Deported Criminals a New National Security Threat?By Bill WestBy Bill West Increasingly, reports from Central and South America indicate that criminal gangs are beginning to align themselves with members of radical Islamic terror organizations. An article in the World Net Daily appearing January 17 goes further, and says... Border Security?By Bill WestBy Bill West Biometric border security enhancements recently announced by DHS are solid improvements, but more needs to be done. More than three years after the 9-11 attacks, US border enforcement agencies are using an automated system that accomplishes only... Miami Immigration Drug Case May Have Future GWOT Impact, By Bill WestBy Bill WestAn Atlanta Federal appeals court issued a ruling in a Miami immigration case dealing with the denaturalization of a drug dealer that may have an impact on future cases involving terror suspects and war criminals. In the process, the Court... Intelligence Reform Bill Contained Strong Immigration ProvisionsBy Bill WestThe recently enacted Intelligence Reform Bill was almost derailed due to controversy over certain immigration related provisions. Those provisions were shelved during heated last minute negotiations at the end of the 108th Congress. Tucked away in the middle of the... |