Posted on 04/29/2004 2:10:19 AM PDT by sarcasm
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Homeland Security is investigating whether Islamic extremists infiltrated the nation by stowing away on Algerian liquefied natural gas tankers that docked in the Port of Boston and has concluded several stowaways may have had links to indicted Al Qaeda terrorists, officials disclosed yesterday.
In a letter to US Representative Edward Markey, Democrat of Malden, the department said that the US Coast Guard formed a joint task force with customs and immigration analysts in October to determine whether ''Algerian nationals have been using maritime transport to illegally enter the US and whether these individuals have links to Islamic extremists."
''The research is ongoing," the letter said. ''Preliminary analysis shows a handful of illegal migrants may have had indirect associations with those indicted for the Millennium Bombing Plot."
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
"But Kenneth Kaiser, the special agent in charge of the Boston FBI office, revealed that the bureau had put Algerian tankers under close surveillance throughout 2000 and found nothing to prove that suspicion."From reading the original story, it appears that it origninates as just more Dick Clarke hype, but only a fool would not take this threat seriously. Unfortunately, it seems clear to me, that we aren't taking it seriously and that our ports and borders remain as leaky and dangerous points of entry for terrorists.
--Boot Hill
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