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British Authorities Arrest Terrorists Planning to Bomb Airliners Headed to U.S. But Visa Waiver Program Still Alive & Well
By Michael Cutler
Even as FBI and ICE special agents are on the hunt for the remaining 8 Egyptian students who were among the original group of 11 who failed to show up at a school that they were admitted into the United States to attend, a breaking story out of England has captured the world's attention. It may well be that the Egyptian students who have gone missing among us in the United States are not involved with terrorism. It may be that they are not a threat to our safety, but then, nothing is certain other than the fact that the "All clear" has most certainly not been sounded.
International travel has been dealt a severe blow as flights have been canceled and extraordinary measures are being taken around the world to try to thwart any possible terrorist attack that involved the use of liquid explosives that some 21 alleged members of al Qaeda were planning to use to blow a number of jet airliners out of the sky.
Out of a very obvious concern for security, airline passengers are being told that they cannot bring any liquids such as shampoo and other toiletries on board an airliner. Additionally, no carry-on luggage will be permitted. These tough new rules formulated in response to this newest threat to airline safety are making airline travel less attractive and more uncomfortable. The delays are wreaking havoc on airline schedules and, no doubt, will increase the cost of doing business to the airline industry that is feeling the pinch of the soaring cost of fuel.
What is amazing to me, however, is the simple fact that the Visa Waiver Program is alive and well. Under the provisions of the Visa Waiver Program aliens from some 26 countries are able to come to the United States without first applying for and receiving a visa from United States consular officials. I have been told by my friends on Capitol Hill that the continuation of this program is attributable to the concerns of the travel industry, the hospitality industry and the other businesses that depend on international travel for a substantial component of their corporate income. They fear that a visa requirement will discourage the travel that they are dependent upon for profit.
Meanwhile, it is estimated that some 3.5 million illegal aliens in the United States did not run the border but rather violated the terms of their admission in the United States. They either over-stayed the period of time for which they were admitted, got a job they were not entitled to take under the immigration laws, or committed other such violations of law. Among these illegal aliens are those who entered the United States. Richard Reid, the so-called "Shoe Bomber" was a British subject who was able to board an airliner and seek entry into the United States without first applying for and receiving a visa to come to the United States. So, while we are all forced to remove our shoes before boarding an airliner to make certain we are not concealing a bomb or other weapon in our shoes, the Visa Waiver Program continues.
According to the articled I have attached below, the terrorists who were apprehended in England were citizens of Great Britain, meaning that they did not need visas in order to seek entry into the United States. This means that they did not need to have a visa in their passports in order to purchase and airline ticket and take their place on board airliners as passengers. The visa requirement is not fool-proof, nothing is, but it does represent a layer of security. Anyone who is familiar with security will tell you that a layered approach is the most effective. The visa requirement, if administered effectively, provides 3 benefits to law enforcement and security.
First of all, the process of applying for a visa provides an additional opportunity to scrutinize the would-be alien visitor and subject him to an interview. Of course it is essential our visa-issuing officials have the necessary language training, etc., but again, this is a matter of an opportunity to better scrutinize those who are seeking entry into our country and also seeking entry onto an airliner. Additionally, in the process of completing an application for a visa, the alien is also providing photographs and fingerprints as well as answers to questions that can be useful as investigative leads should the alien who applied for a visa become the subject of an investigation. Finally, the law makes it a crime to make false statements on the application for a visa. Simple visa fraud carries a penalty of a maximum of 5 years in prison. When visa fraud is committed in conjunction with drug trafficking the penalty jumps to 20 years in jail and visa fraud committed in conjunction with terrorism raises the maximum penalty to 25 years. None of these benefits to law enforcement and counter-terrorism apply when an alien is able to hop on an airliner and seek entry into the United States under the Visa Waiver program.
We obviously live in a dangerous era and it time our leaders understood the need to change strategies to better safeguard our nation and our citizens. This is one program that needs to end not only to enhance America's security, but the security of other countries as well. When an alien seeks to board an airliner for a flight to the United States, if he does not have citizenship in a visa waiver country, the airline officials will not permit him to board an airliner without a visa in his passport. In effect this helps screen airline passengers as well, provided, of course, that the visa process is administered effectively.
The Visa Waiver Program needs to be ended in the name of security, the only question is whether our political leaders will demonstrate the political courage to do this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/w...&en=13f881599701f2d5&ei=5094&partner=homepage
The US is displaying a death wish...
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2006/08/british_authorities_arrest_ter.php
The US is displaying a death wish...
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2006/08/british_authorities_arrest_ter.php
And Chimpy and his administration have had just how long to scotch this program?
It ain't Chertoff's fault...look to his bosses.
Lets see...the Visa Waiver Program pilot was introduced in 1986, made law in2000....voted on by CONGRESS, which last time I checked consisted of both Democrats and Repulicans.
The truth is that when it comes to immigration, both parties are at fault; no politician ever met an immigrant (legal or otherwise) they didn't like...until they find out how that immigrant voted.
One more thing. Guess who signed the Visa Waiver Program into law???
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=1090
Maybe Bully should be ranting at Bubba for even signing the thing (with signing statement I might add) instead of expecting Bush to clean up Bubba's mess.
You're missing the point or, more likely, refusing to acknowledge it. Chimpy <i>et al</i> have failed to shut down this program, which they should have done in the days following 9/11.
Wake up and smell the coffee...If it doesn't have political value, they don't care about national security issues.
Bubba left such a LARGE mess it's hard to clean all of it up. Your last statement pretty much says it all and applies to BOTH parties, as far as I'm concerned. Just another point that bolsters my belief that this country needs a third political party to balance the two extremes we have now.
You are missing the point or refusing to acknowledge it....Bubba should not have signed it into law in the first place if he had national security interests at heart.
Morning, Bully!
Mmmm...Blame Goatboy for everything. How bloody childish can you get? It is a mark of adulthood to accept responsibility for your actions. Chimpy and Co. have yet to accept any responsibility for incompetence, ineptitude and duplicity.
Mornin' to you too!
