Frontpage, by Michael Cutler, May 19, 2015:
Rampant, blind greed warps the perspectives of those who suffer from that ailment. Consider politicians who have declared that aliens who trespass on the United States and evade the inspections process conducted at ports of entry are “entitled” to United States citizenship or, at the very least, lawful status.
The outrageous view ignores both commonsense and the findings and recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and the 9/11 Commission Staff.
Our borders and our immigration laws are America’s first line of defense and last line of defense against international terrorists and transnational criminals, but you would never know this by reading most newspapers or watching most “news programs” in the mainstream media. You also would not learn the true importance of our borders and our immigration laws if you listened to Mr. Obama, leaders of his administration ranging from Jeh Johnson, the Secretary of Homeland Security or Loretta Lynch, the newly confirmed Attorney General.
You also would not learn this by listening to the mayors and governors who have declared their cities and states to be “sanctuaries” for illegal aliens and are providing them with driver’s licenses and municipal identity documents.
On the May 15, 2015, CNN posted a report, “Terror arrest in Texas shows new stance after Garland” [2] that began with this statement,
Washington (CNN) The FBI on Thursday arrested an Iraqi-born American citizen in Texas, alleging he traveled to Syria to fight with ISIS terrorists and returned to the U.S.
The case against Bilal Abood is one indication of federal counterterrorism officials’ new stance on terrorism cases in light of the recent foiled terrorist attack in Garland, Texas, against a Mohammed cartoon contest event.
Prosecutors charged Abood with lying to the FBI, but the case represents much more. Abood is one of hundreds of people the FBI is monitoring in some way, many of whom investigators suspect could be motivated to carry out attacks but though the evidence remains difficult to assemble.
Abood, who formerly worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Army in Iraq, migrated to the U.S. in 2009.
The FBI alleges that agents stopped Abood as he tried to travel in 2013, when he claimed he was planning to visit family in Iraq.
He later told the FBI in an interview in 2013 that he actually was planning to travel to Syria to fight with the Free Syrian Army, a rebel faction fighting the Assad regime that has in the past enjoyed some U.S. support.
Abood later left the U.S. for Turkey via Mexico, the FBI alleges.
He returned months later and claimed to the FBI that he had been fighting with the FSA.
Bilal Abood
The CNN report and other reports about this case neglected to make some important connections.
Bilal Abood purportedly immigrated legally to the United States in 2009 and subsequently became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He had worked as a translator for the U.S. military in Iraq. He also showed some real sophistication in traveling to the Middle East from Mexico. It must be presumed that he entered Mexico with his U.S. passport. It is likely that had he attempted entry with his original Iraqi passport, the Mexican immigration authorities would have been reluctant to admit him.
Let me begin by being very clear: Mr. Abood enjoys the presumption of innocence at this point and therefore he may have worked loyally and with great integrity. Until he is found guilty, we must not presume anything about his conduct as a translator. I am simply concerned that a former translator is now the target of a prosecution about involvement with a violent anti-American terror organization.
A translator occupies an extremely sensitive position. I am extremely familiar this having worked with translators and interpreters throughout my 30-year career with the former INS.
Translators have access to our officials and to the people with whom our officials interact and need to communicate with. This could involve suspected terrorists and insurgents. This could also include people seeking to provide information to our military.
A translator is the eyes, ears and mouth of the people they work with. They are in a position to alter the questions and answers being exchanged during an interview. They often have access to sensitive documents. They are in the position to know who is attempting to cooperate with our government, and this could put these people’s lives and the lives of their family members in immediate jeopardy.
They can feed false information (disinformation) to our intelligence officials that could get Americans killed.
The adjudications process for his application for citizenship should be scrutinized, but, given the posture of the administration, and given previous similar cases, it is unlikely that this will be done.
On February 24, 2015, Progressives For Immigration Reform posted my article, “The Immigration Factor – Naturalized U.S. Citizen Added to FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List” [3] that was predicated on a January 29, 2015 FBI press release, “Naturalized U.S. Citizen Born in Somalia Added to FBI List.” [4]
Here are three brief paragraphs from that FBI press release:
Liban Haji Mohamed, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Somalia, has been named to the FBI’s list of Most Wanted Terrorists, and a reward of up to $50,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction. Mohamed is charged with providing material support and resources to al Qaeda and al Shabaab, a Somali-based terrorist organization.
Traveling with his U.S. passport, Mohamed is thought to have left the United States on or about July 5, 2012. Before his departure, the 29-year-old lived in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. where he worked as a cab driver.
It is important for us to locate Mohamed because he has knowledge of the Washington, D.C. area’s infrastructure such as shopping areas, Metro, airports, and government buildings. This makes him an asset to his terrorist associates who might plot attacks on U.S. soil.
This is not the first time that a translator was charged with involvement with a terrorist organization.
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