Posted on 07/23/2004 4:09:20 PM PDT by 4.1O dana super trac pak
July 23, 2004--Middle Easterners with possible terrorists ties have been detained after entering the country from Mexico but released for lack of jail space, said U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommitte on Readiness.
"It is true. It is very reliable information, fron the horse's mouth, and it's happening all over the place," Ortiz, D-Texas, told the Herald on Thursday.
"It's very, very scary, and members (of congress) know about this. We have contacted several agencies, and I have talked to some people, but I can't say who."
Ortiz's comments come amid Thursday's release of the 9/11 panel's report into events leading to the deadliest attacks on U.S. soil and as the House Appropiations Committee passed an amendment to the Transportation-Treasury Bill to stop the use of Mexican identification cards in this country.
Currently, martricula consulars are used by Mexican nationals to open bank accounts in the United States and obtain driver's licenses in some states.
The amendment, submitted by U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, will go before the full House in September.
Culberson said the cards present a danger to national security, pointing to the June 26, 2003, testimony of Steve McCraw, assistant director of the FBI's Office of Intelligence, before a House Judiciary subcommittee.
"The ability of foreign nationals to use the martricula consular to create a well-documented, but fictitous, identity in the United States provides an oppurtunity for terrorist to move freely within the United States without triggering name-based watch lists that are disseminated to local police officers," McCraw testified. "It also allows them to board planes without revealing their true identity. ...At least one individual of Middle Eastern descent has also been arrested in possesion of the matricula consular card."
Ortiz had not heard of the case McCraw cited or that any potential terrorist had been detained with a martricula card.
"...It seems to me that this is just against Mexicans," Ortiz said, "because (U.S. officials) are picking up a lot of (potential terrorists) and releasing them on their personal recognizance and they (the suspects) don't return to their court dates, and they (U.S. officials) don't know where they are going."
Culberson's spokesman Tony Essalih and Jeff Morehouse told The Herald on Thursday that U.S. Attorney Michael T. Shelby of the Southern District of Texas told Culberson that several Middle Easterners have used Hispanic surnames to enter the country undetected.
"This was during a meeting in Houston May 25," Essalih said.
The Middle Easterners are from Yemen, Essalih said.
Shelby is not issuing any statements, said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Herrera of the Southern District of Texas, noting that the office is prohibited from confirming or denying any investigation.
"That is a federal rule," Herrera said.
Culberson's spokesmen said they didn't know how many potential terrorists Shelby identified that have used Hispanic surnames to enter the country.
They said the potential terrorists apparently entered through the U.S.-Mexico border and were detected in South Texas as far north as Houston.
Essalih said he had not heard any reports that potential terrorists were being released due to lack of jail space.
He said, "It would be terrifying if that were the case."
ping
This just goes way beyond stupidity. If GWB doesn't get a handle on the situation at our borders, it'll be the end of him politically after the next attack. The GWB / Asa Hutchinson / Tom Ridge dog and pony show he's running now just doesn't cut it.
The Bush open border policy makes me feel so much more secure.
But haven't you heard? People only cross the porous U.S.-Mexico border so that they can do "Jobs Americans won't do".
Anyone who disagrees with erasing the border is a 'nativist restrictionist Xenophobe isolationist!
So there! :-D
('come on get down with the sickness')
My Congress Citter. I can't believe it. Solomon Ortiz actually got mentioned in an article posted on Free Republic. A year or two ago, Rush singled him out for ridicule (well deserved), but Ortiz almost never makes any news not even in his own congressional district. He's been in Congress ever since the reapportionment in 1982.
Just wonderful
Index
But I have no doubt it is true.
These idiots sat on their butts since 911, and now they are running around in complete chaos......Why am I still paying these people taxes?
It's only 90 percent open now, the man is doing all he can.
Translation: "I don't know nothing!"
All he's willing to do - which isn't very much.
I saw Culberson on Lou Dobbs tonight. He is one of the few congressmen in Washington who has any brains.
The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is on the job, don't worry, you have nothing to fear.
I am aware of stuff going on on our northern border. They caught a number of Moroccans and then released them soon after, presumably without checking them against the terrorist watch lists, because they did not have space for them in the local jail (this was in Vermont).
As for the southern border, I don't doubt that the coyotes would help terrorists in. They don't care about anything other than money (which is why they treat the illegals so badly.)
So they just let the potential terrorists go? Were they deported?
There would be plenty of jail space if the Mexican illegal aliens were deported. They should be sent all the way down to Mexico City so it would take them longer to get back on their return trip.
The inmates are running the asylum.
Ortiz is ranting about jail releases while the Republican spokesman says:
***Essalih said he had not heard any reports that potential terrorists were being released due to lack of jail space.
He said, "It would be terrifying if that were the case."***
Ortiz piles on with a claim of potential terrorists released from jails. He wants to blame his unproven claim on Republicans. I live in Cameron County at the southern tip of Texas. I can't recall the last time we had a Republican sherrif. We've got a Dem sherrif with a criminal history prior to election. He is currently facing several charges and investigations. He was caught on tape soliciting county epmloyees, on county property, to campaign for him in his re-election bid. He spent a years worth of budget in 2 months. Criminal sexual charges have been filed against some of his jailers. One of the county jails was shut down by the the Feds recently due to prisoner escapes. And these are just the scandals I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure I missed one or two. With criminals like our Dem sherrif running county jails as part of our first line of defense along the southern border, I would not be surprised to hear that some potential terrorists have been released.
This article reveals a plan of attack by the Dems against Republicans. Slamming the Republicans about denying use of the martricula card while playing the race card by claiming denial of use of the martricula card "is just against Mexicans." (Mexicans? What about representing Americans, Solomon?) Then adding the potential terrorists released from jails claim to smear Republicans. It ain't Republicans running our county jails in Cameron County!
In other local news, it was reported today that a potential terrorist female was arrested today in Hidalgo County at the airport. That is a neighboring county to Cameron County and also a Dem stronghold.
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