Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Finally Added to Terror List

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Finally Added to Terror List

NewsMax.com Wires and NewsMax.com
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002

WASHINGTON – The federal government has finally added U.S. "allies" Saudi Arabia, home of 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 terrorists, and Pakistan to the list of countries whose people are considered high terrorist risks.

Citizens of both nations visiting the United States are supposed to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service between Jan. 13 and Feb. 21. They will, at least in theory, be fingerprinted and photographed.

"The requirement becomes effective from the day it is published in the Federal Register," Jorge Martinez, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, said Tuesday. "It has been placed for public viewing today and will be published tomorrow."

The addition of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan brings to 20 the number of countries covered under the registration program.

"The embassy has not yet been informed officially," said Mohammed Sadiq, the deputy chief of mission at the Pakistan Embassy. "We are going to send a very strong demarche to the Justice and State Departments."

Sadiq, however, urged visitors from Pakistan to follow the instructions.

"While in the United States, they have to follow the law of the land," he said.

Pro-Muslim groups have criticized the registration program and say it does little to catch potential terrorists.

The INS says it netted 179 suspects using the fingerprinting and registration techniques, but none of them was a terrorist.

The inclusion of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will upset the two nations, but U.S. officials have criticized both governments for failing to check a rising tide of Islamic extremism.

U.S. officials say the Saudi government is not doing enough to stop "charities" from helping religious extremists. FBI officials are investigating charges that members of the royal family might have made payments to one of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers.

The electoral gains made by an anti-U.S. religious alliance in Pakistan forced Washington to put Pakistan on the list of high-risk countries, U.S. officials said.

The latest registration notice affects males from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan who are ages 16 or older and who entered the United States on or before Sept. 30, 2002. If they plan to stay in the United States into late February, they will have until Feb. 21, 2003, to register and provide documentation to the INS about their visit.

Under the National Security Entry Exit Registration System, the U.S. government must maintain photographs and fingerprints of all male visitors from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria and Sudan. An additional 13 countries were added to the list in October.

More than 3,000 men ages 16 and up from the five countries on the first list were needed to register by Monday evening. Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria are also on the U.S. State Department's list of the countries that sponsor terrorism.

Another group of more than 7,000 males from 13 other nations are required to register by Jan. 10. Out of these 13 countries, 12 – Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen – are Muslim. North Korea is also on this list.

Those who fail to register can be deported. The program does not affect permanent residents, men with INS "green cards" or naturalized citizens. Diplomats are also excluded, as well as those who are seeking political asylum in the United States or have been granted it.

"The United States will always welcome visitors from foreign countries, but after the tragic events of September 11th, it is clear that we have to understand better who is entering and exiting our country," said Attorney General John Ashcroft. "The registration program assists us in protecting the safety of the American people and the rights of those visitors coming to our country."