House
Acknowledges the Need for a National Terrorist Registry
by Patrick Dunleavy • Sep 17,
2018 at 11:46 am
|
|
|
|
Share:  
|
  Be the
first of your friends to like this.
A bill that passed the U.S. House last week would create a vital tool to
help the United States track dozens of convicted terrorists whose prison
terms are nearing completion.
The Terrorist
Release Announcements to Counter Extremist Recidivism Act (TRACER)
would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department
of Justice (DOJ) to inform state and local authorities about anticipated
release dates and the locations where the terrorists would live
post-release.
It's an
idea the Investigative Project on Terrorism has advocated
for more than a year.
Since the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, hundreds of people have been
arrested and convicted of terror related offenses.
Most were motivated by a radical Islamic ideology which calls for the
destruction of the United States and Western democracies. The Bureau of
Prisons and the Justice Department have struggled to develop a viable
de-radicalization or post release program.
The bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., acknowledges
that failure and offers a way to fill in the gap.
"TRACER would actually do the same thing [as a sex offender
registry] and be providing notification that someone has been
released," said According to House Homeland Security Committee
Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas.
McCaul also wants
a viable program "to ensure that radicalization is not taking place
because it is."
I testified
about prison radicalization in 2011 before the House Homeland Security
Committee. Recognition that Islamic radicalization occurs in prison, I
said, was a necessary first step.
I also encouraged committee members initiate a comprehensive program
that included information sharing among federal, state, and local
authorities. It is necessary component for public safety, and this bill
will do just that.
The bill passed on a voice vote which may indicate strong bipartisan
support. But it has not been without its naysayers. Karen Greenberg,
director of Fordham University's Center on National Security, demonstrated
her naïveté when she said,
"I do not distinguish them [terrorists] as any more dangerous than
other people who might have been apprehended before they committed a crime
or people who were convicted of committing a crime."
It is absurd to think that an individual who indiscriminately mows down innocent pedestrians on a New York City
walkway or who travels overseas to join a terrorist organization and
fight against U.S. coalition forces is no more a threat to society than a
third rate burglar or confidence artist.
Thankfully, House members did not agree. A companion bill in the Senate
is awaiting action in the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs.
The very real threat of recidivism by a released terrorist or a
prison-radicalized parolee must be dealt with effectively and the Tracer
Act is a step in the right direction.
Article
Explores Why Somalia Deserves to be on U.S. Travel Ban List
by IPT News • Sep 17, 2018 at
11:41 am
|
|
|
|
Share:
|
Be
the first of your friends to like this.
U.S. immigration officials face serious challenges addressing refugee
claims from Somalia, given that country's lack of systematic record keeping
throughout its civil war and history of failed governments since 1991. As a
result, Somalia deserves to stay on President Donald Trump's travel ban
list, argues Todd Bensman in a recent article for the Center for Immigration Studies.
For more than two decades, few Somalis received formal birth
certificates, driver's licenses, or other government-issued identification.
Under these circumstances, Bensman asks, how could American officials
secure a proper identity check or criminal history for any Somali adult
seeking asylum in the U.S.?
Last month, federal prosecutors in Tucson, Ariz. charged a married
couple - Mohamed Abdirahman and Zeinab Abidrahman Mohammad - with eight
counts of making false statements throughout his refugee and
legal permanent residency application process.
Zeinab faces three counts of providing false information in support of
her husband, but was released on Aug. 10 after the judge did not deem her a
danger to the public or a flight risk.
The government claims that Osman used a fake Somali passport and lied about many crucial
details, including his real name and nationality. Osman allegedly lied
about a relationship with the Somali-based terrorist organization
al-Shabaab.
He claimed to have lost his hands after a 2010 terrorist attack before
being abducted by al-Shabaab. But prosecutors assert that the couple has
provided contradictory accounts at different points in time.
Osman's story eventually unraveled. Speaking with FBI agents last year,
Osman acknowledged he was from Ethiopia, that he was recruited by
al-Shabaab, and that his brother is an active member of the terrorist
organization. He also reportedly admitted that he lost his hands while
holding a homemade explosive in 2009.
The government could not definitely prove whether Osman had a criminal
record or whether he had participated in terrorist activities, said
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly Anderson.
These issues may cause some difficulties for the prosecution during the
trial, which is set for Sept. 18.
"There can be no doubt that some real Somali citizens have suffered
persecution at the hands of the ubiquitously present al Shabaab or that
country's military-backed government. Such individuals may well deserve
American sanctuary if their stories of suffering and claims of torture if
returned could possibly be investigated and verified enough. But, very
unfortunately, most involving Somalis probably can't be verified. And so
the value of security must be carefully weighed against the value of
providing sanctuary," writes Bensman.
|
Print
Send
RSS
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment