What do you think? FBI background checks for middle east students?

[Ripsnort]

This story got me thinking...should Students who come to America from the Middle East (S.A., Jordan, etc. etc.) have background checks before student visas are issued?



http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/052507dntexterrorcharges.271768e.html

UTD student convicted of having weapon

FBI says he wanted to join jihad, but he says he was just having fun
08:46 PM CDT on Thursday, May 24, 2007
By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News

A University of Texas at Dallas sophomore who prosecutors said longed to join the fight against U.S. forces in the Middle East was convicted by a Houston jury on federal weapons charges Thursday.

Syed Maaz Shah, 20, a Pakistan native majoring in electrical engineering, was convicted of firing an Armalite M-15 assault weapon on two camping trips in January and March in a rural area near Willis, north of Houston.

The FBI says Mr. Shah and other men on the trips were engaged in military training with the ultimate goal to join the jihad, or holy war, against the U.S. overseas.

During his trial this week, Mr. Shah said he was going on fishing trips and didn't know guns would be involved.

"I was invited by my friends to go camping and have a good time, and that's what we had," said Mr. Shah in a letter to the UTD Mercury student newspaper that was published in February. "Isn't it mind-boggling that someone can be placed in prison for merely going to a shooting range? ... I mean, for God's sake, we live in Texas ..."

After a three-day trial in front of U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon in Houston, Mr. Shah was convicted on two counts of alien in possession of a firearm affecting interstate commerce.

Mr. Shah entered the U.S. in 2005 on a student visa and as such was prohibited from possessing a firearm, authorities said. He faces up to 20 years in prison. He will be sentenced Sept. 14.

In late November, he was arrested outside his UTD campus apartment and was transferred to Houston to join three co-defendants who authorities say joined him on the training campouts.

Prosecutors said that when Mr. Shaw was arrested, he told agents he went on the campouts to prepare for "what may come" and described American forces in Iraq as "invaders." During his trial, Mr. Shah denied making those statements.

Extremist materials were found on Mr. Shah's computer, seized by agents in Dallas, prosecutors said. "Statue of Liberty in Burka" reads the name of one file from his computer, according to a government trial exhibit list.

Shiraz Syed Qazi, 26, also in the U.S. on a student visa, was sentenced last week to 10 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm during the campouts.

Adnan Babar Mirza, a 29-year-old Pakistani native, is scheduled for trial in October on federal conspiracy and firearms charges.

A third co-defendant, Kobie Diallo Williams, a 33-year-old U.S. citizen, will be sentenced in October after his November 2006 guilty plea to conspiracy charges related to raising money for the Taliban and gun charges.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Halo]

Yep.  

[Odee]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
This story got me thinking...should Students who come to America from the Middle East (S.A., Jordan, etc. etc.) have background checks before student visas are issued?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/052507dntexterrorcharges.271768e.html

I believe anyone, especially students, coming from a hostile region or country should have to pass a background check and be sponsored by an American citizen before being allowed to enter the USA for what ever reason.

[Silat]

All non citizens entering the US should have a background check. But since the reps have been telling us they are protecting us how come this hasnt been done already?

[Hap]

Check 'em all Rip.

[bj229r]

Originally posted by Silat
All non citizens entering the US should have a background check. But since the reps have been telling us they are protecting us how come this hasnt been done already?

There was a HUGE row over just getting fingerprints from everyone as they landed (ACLU-type row, in addition to some very mad Brits) The airlines are bawking at doing more, and the federal govt' certainly isn't up to the task. It would make flying to the US a nightmare of red tape upon landing, which wouldn't bother me too much. They prolly just fly to Canada or Guatemala/Mexico and drive across. Saw a story the other day about a HIGH number of 'transit' visas given out by the Cuban consulate, in Damascus--those folks are coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc...and their final destination is NOT Cuba. This just presents them an easy way of getting to either Mexico or Canada, from which it's easy to get to the US. I half-expect to see an army of several thousand 'other-than-Mexicans' shoot up dozens of shopping malls or schools at some point in the future. These folks do NOT mind waiting for the perfect time to strike

[AKIron]

Any law we may pass regarding aliens/immigrants is ludicrous considering we probably have 20 million undocumented illegal aliens within our borders today.

[Nilsen]

Thankfully it doesnt take an eternety to get a tourist visa to enter america as a norwegian. As long as you does not have a heavy criminal record you get it within a few days after asking the US embassy.

They look at your name (to see if its a typical norwegian one) and ask what your business is and thats it.

[FiLtH]

SHould they? You mean they arent checked now?

[DiabloTX]

Sorta reminds me of a couple years ago, during a drill weekend at the reserve center, I was walking down the admin passageway and saw the typical bulletin board they have up for miscellaneous news.  On it was a wanted poster for a fellow sailor.  As such I'd never seen one for a navy sailor.  So I looked closer and it was for a fellow storekeeper who was atteneding SK 'A' school in Meridian, Mississippi.  Turns out he was a person of middle eastern origin, in the military on his green card, and that NCIS was investigating him for "terrorist linked activities".

Wow, a middle eastern person wanted for that.  In the navy.  

Gotta love stereotypes.

[lasersailor184]

Am I the only person here who has read the news article?


You guys do realize that this story has NOTHING to do with background checks for students, right?

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by Silat
All non citizens entering the US should have a background check. But since the reps have been telling us they are protecting us how come this hasnt been done already?

ACLU, CAIR

Just a few acronyms I can think of off the top of my head.

[VOR]

If you do background checks for foreigners entering the country, teh turrerists have already won teh war!

[Fishu]

Originally posted by Nilsen
Thankfully it doesnt take an eternety to get a tourist visa to enter america as a norwegian. As long as you does not have a heavy criminal record you get it within a few days after asking the US embassy.

They look at your name (to see if its a typical norwegian one) and ask what your business is and thats it.

You need to apply for a visa from the embassy to travel the USA as a tourist? I simply ordered plane tickets, jumped on the plane and filled up a green paper slide asking for silly questions while enjoying the sights. Any "yes" answers would've triggered the "visit the embassy" failure.

(YES! I participated in the holocaust!)

[bozon]

I recently got a visa to the US to go to a conference.

The application form (DS157) was hillarious:

Do You Have Any Specialized Skills or Training, Including Firearms,
Explosives?


Have You Ever Performed Military Service? Give country, service, ranks...


Have You Ever Been in An Armed Conflict?
hmm....

List all educational institutions you have attended...
...physics...

After that form I was sure I'd be classified as former war criminal military officer scientist that comes to steal the US nuclear secrets...

Luckily someone at the US embassy applied some common sense and gave me a 10 year visa. My wife on the other hand, is clearly 10 times more dangerous then me since she got a visa for just 1 year.

Go figure.