Posted on 04/11/2008 3:30:59 PM PDT by kellynla
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities have seen no signs of al Qaeda trying to insert operatives into the United States from Mexico, but the militant group has considered doing so, a U.S. intelligence official said on Friday.
The comments by Charles Allen, Homeland Security undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, could undercut one argument by advocates in and out of government for get-tough tactics to fight illegal crossings at the southern U.S. border -- that they are needed to fight terrorism.
In contrast, at least one Islamist militant has been caught trying to enter the United States by land to attempt an attack.
"We know of no trained al Qaeda operatives who have crossed over our southern border," Allen told reporters.
"We do know that going back to 2004, the southern border is something that al Qaeda's central leadership has looked at. But we know of no specifics of where al Qaeda has really endeavored to cross our borders in the south," he said.
The U.S. government is seeking to complete this year a planned 670-mile border fence to fight illegal crossings from Mexico.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has cited the antiterrorism argument in waiving environmental laws and other legal restrictions to quickly build the fence.
"The flow of illegal traffic through the border region imperils our ability to fight terrorism by stopping the illegal entry of terrorists," the Homeland Security department said earlier this month in justifying the latest waivers, for 500 miles (805 km ) of potential fencing.
Allen said there have been militant "sympathizers and fund-raisers for Hizbollah" trying to cross from the south, but no trained operatives have been discovered.
SUFFICIENT THREATS
A Homeland Security Department official said those crossings, and the potential for operatives to cross, are sufficient threats to help justify the fence construction's urgency.
On the other hand, Vancouver-based militant Ahmeed Ressam, with suspected links to al Qaeda, was stopped with explosives in his car at the U.S. border with Canada in December 1999, foiling a suspected plot to bomb Los Angeles.
The United States was working closely with Canadian authorities, Allen said, and he credited them with breaking up in 2006 a plot by militants to carry out an "al Qaeda-inspired" bombing campaign in the Toronto area.
Allen also said al Qaeda is trying to recruit both white and nonwhite people so it can train "western-looking" operatives to help it carry out attacks in Europe and the United States.
No such suspects have yet been caught trying to enter the United States, but the effort remains a concern. "This is something to which we must pay a lot of attention," Allen said.
He said al Qaeda shifted its strategy to seek Western-appearing recruits after the December 2005 death of al Qaeda external operations chief Abu Hamza Rabia. Rabia recruited operatives who had little experience with the West, he said.
ping
This could be very bad news considering the past level of competence our intelligence community has shown.
They can't seem to find signs of illegal Mexicans either. Not to mention the dozens of AQ cells around the country, but hey, whatever.
I call shenanigans...
“...no signs of al Qaeda trying to insert operatives into the United States from Mexico...”
Well now, that good news.
#
http://www.truthusa.com/911.html
http://www.truthusa.com/911news.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/suddenjihadsyndrome
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/suddenjihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mexico
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/illegalimmigration
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/border
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/borders
Oops, there’s a lot more to the article, but this caught my attention:
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “”We know of no trained al Qaeda operatives who have crossed over our southern border,” Allen told reporters.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/jihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/internet
http://www.internet-haganah.com
http://www.internet-haganah.com/haganah/internet.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/jihadpropaganda
http://memriiwmp.org/
http://www.memri.org/jihad.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/jihadvideos
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/jihadtv
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/jihadcds
Well, better go post this on The Threat Matrix (http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/threatmatrix ) and then see what’s going on around the rest of the internet.
I love Fridays.
...and so it goes.
Then there IS the incidences of them trying to get in on the Washington/Canada border = and at least 2 of the 9-11 pilots came over the Canada/Maine border.
But there’s NO hue and cry from the people to ‘close’ or watch closer, these borders.
Maybe because there’s no Mexicans coming down from Canada? (How much expressed concern about terrorists coming over the border is a cover...)
“But we know of no specifics of where al Qaeda has really endeavored to cross our borders in the south,” he said.
Two questions,
#1 How many AQ terrorists have penetrated our Northern border?
#2 Does anyone think that AQ, after crossing our Southern border, hangs around on that spot?
It has been reported and posted on FR more than once over the years that THERE ARE Middle Eastern types in Mexico and the BP has caught some of these camel jockeys attempting to cross the border.
Bravo Sierra! You obviously haven't read any of my and other FReepers’ innumerable “illegal alien posts” for the past 7 friggin’ years! LOL
“But we know of no specifics of where al Qaeda has really endeavored to cross our borders in the south,” he said.
I suppose they’re just showing their Social Security cards
and misc. state driver’s licenses, instead of their AlQueda
club cards and decoder rings.
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