|
|
|
#1
06-05-2002, 06:31 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
U.S. Unveils Fingerprint Plan, Angers Arab Groups
U.S. Unveils Fingerprint Plan, Angers Arab Groups
Wed Jun 5, 5:25 PM ET By James Vicini WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) said on Wednesday that the U.S. government will fingerprint, photograph and register about 100,000 foreign visitors during the first year alone of an anti-terrorism effort that outraged lawmakers and Arab and immigration groups who say Middle Eastern men will be targeted. He said the program consisted of fingerprinting and photographing at the border, periodic registration of aliens who stay in the United States 30 days or longer and "exit controls" to help remove those who overstay their visas. "This system will expand substantially America's scrutiny of those foreign visitors who may pose a national security concern and enter our country. And it will provide a vital line of defense in the war against terrorism," Ashcroft said. Visitors subject to the increased scrutiny will be from countries considered by the United States to be sponsors of terrorism and other unspecified nations that critics said are likely to be Middle Eastern. The change was prompted by concern about the lack of records on tourists, students and other foreign visitors after the Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (news - web sites), Ashcroft told a news conference. All 19 hijackers entered the country on valid visas but several stayed beyond their expiration dates. Asked if the new system would have caught any of the 19 hijackers or barred their entry, Ashcroft replied, "I can't speculate on those things right now. I haven't really gone through that. So I just won't speculate on that." Ashcroft's announcement drew instant condemnation. Congressman John Conyers of Michigan, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee (news - web sites), denounced the system as employing racial and ethic profiling. "Rather than helping to protect our citizens, these registration rules will only serve to further alienate the American Muslim community and our Muslim allies abroad, two crucial allies in our fight against terrorism," he said. Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle told reporters he gets concerned "about the long arm of the federal government when it comes to taking actions like this that may or may not be helpful and certainly may be invasive." The plan "smacks of the sort of tactics" used by totalitarian regimes like Iraq, said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, a policy group, said the change would add to an already overburdened process and would fail to improve security. He called it a political initiative designed to send the message the Bush administration was "doing something" about terrorism. ACLU CALLS PLAN DISCRIMINATORY The American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) criticized Ashcroft's latest measures as "discriminatory" and likely ineffective. U.S. officials were aware of complaints that the plan amounted to a form of profiling because it targeted mainly Middle Eastern men. They denied that was the intent and defended the measure as necessary after the Sept. 11 attacks. It was the latest counterterrorism plan from Ashcroft to spark criticism from civil liberties groups and others. Last week, he gave the FBI (news - web sites) broad new powers to spy domestically at places such as mosques and political rallies. Ashcroft said the new system was the first phase of a requirement by Congress that the Justice Department (news - web sites) build an entry and exit system to track virtually all of the 35 million foreign visitors who come to the United States annually. Senior Justice Department officials estimated the change would affect about 100,000 visitors who come to the United States in the first year alone. In addition, fewer than 100,000 people already in the country may have to register. "Aliens already in the United States who fall into categories of elevated national security concern will be asked to come in and register as well," Ashcroft said. He said the United States about 25 years ago stopped asking international visitors to register periodically with immigration authorities and stopped keeping track of visitors. In contrast, most European nations have rigorous registration systems, he said, adding that long-term visitors in France must register within seven days of arrival and then every 12 months and whenever they change their address. The officials said the new system would take effect in the fall. They said visitors also would have to fill out new detailed forms, answering various questions about their background and where they plan to stay in the United States. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...migration_dc_5 ----------- Profiling works ... what is the problem? 
|
|
#3
06-05-2002, 07:05 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: U.S. Unveils Fingerprint Plan, Angers Arab Groups
Quote:
|
|
#4
06-05-2002, 07:09 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
LOL@ DnGrMse.
I wonder why we stopped doing it 25 years ago... because some liberals cried wolf? It's not even racial profiling if they do it to ALL people here on visas, it's a realistic thing... okay, Sean Fein didn't show up for annual registration... put out an APB, and start deportation proceedings. Zacharias Moussaoui's visa has expired, round him up...wait, he's in commercial jet flight school??? He never listed that on his student visa... find out who else from that region is doing the same thing, stop it, and throw them out!
|
|
#5
06-06-2002, 03:09 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
__________________
a simple truism: A man is neither free nor secure unless he is armed, because he may be easily coerced or killed by one who is. This is not a matter of philosophy, but of physics and physiology.  “There is not in all America a more dangerous trait than the deification of mere smartness unaccompanied by any sense of moral responsibility.” Teddy Roosevelt, 1903 Speech
|
|
#6
06-06-2002, 03:33 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Protecting our borders, making people using the visa./immigration system 'honest' is not illegal, or a violation, if we do it for ALL people. The fact is that terrorists can look like Arabs, they can look black (there are some black muslims ya know) and they can be white... By cataloguing ALL people entering this country, we're doing us a favor.
|
|
#7
06-06-2002, 04:02 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
|
#8
06-06-2002, 04:57 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
By all means do all people, but either start today with the people who come from the "threat countries" or bar them from coming here until we can deal with it.
__________________
It is very difficult to post here and not react to TTs lies, CAs hate, the bigotry of Allegra and Princess and the hipocracy of Manu. About to be banned.
|
|
#10
06-06-2002, 06:01 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I don't understand why people care what immigrants think. If they don't like the way we do things, don't come here. Its like someone crashing a party and then complaining about the cash bar.
__________________
I represent the angry, gun toting meat eating people. ~ Denis Leary The same shepherd that keeps the wolves away leads the flock to the slaughterhouse. The fact that no one understands you doesn't make you an artist.
|
|
#11
06-06-2002, 06:27 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
|
#12
06-06-2002, 07:40 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
From mr. Boortz:
"Sorry to be so blunt about this. It’s so unusual for me to be this direct --- but SCREW THEM. I don’t give a damn what they don’t like. Know what? I don’t particularly like Arabs threatening to kill innocent Americans. I’m not real fond of Arabs slitting the throats of flight attendants. I don’t get warm and fuzzy feelings about Arabs flying airplanes into office buildings full of people’s wives, husbands, parents and children. Look --- Arabs present a security threat to the United States. Not all Arabs, I know. But there’s not a day that passes that some Arab group isn’t spouting hatred for America and its people and bragging of their determination to kill as many of us as possible. To ignore this threat would be idiocy. Finns don’t get fingerprinted when they enter the country. Know why? Because Finns aren’t bragging about how many innocent Americans they intend to kill. Here’s the dialogue: ARABS: “We’re going to kill more of you hideous Americans. We’re going to destroy more of your buildings. We will see more of your blood running through the streets.” U.S. “Well, if that’s the way you feel then we’re going to take a little closer look at you when you visit this country. We’re going to check your fingerprints against those of known criminals and terrorists.” ARABS: “You can’t do that! That’s not fair! You’re singling us out! If you do that to us you have to do that to everybody!” U.S. “But “everybody” isn’t threatening us.” ARABS: “That doesn’t matter. You’re supposed to treat us like you do everyone else. You’re not supposed to single us out for special treatment. That’s profiling and everybody knows that profiling is wrong.” U.S. “But you’re singling us out for special treatment. Some of your people are threatening to kill as many of us as they can! It’s OK if you single us out for death and destruction, but it’s not OK if we single you out for special security procedures?” ARABS: “Doh!” If it were up to me we would just be to stop issuing visas to all visitors from Arab countries and any visitors from countries that sponsor terrorism until they clean up their act. Maybe we would be lucky enough to shut the door while Kasey Kasem is overseas. None of these people have any right to enter this country. They do so at our invitation and with our permission. If the security precautions we take are too much for them then they can just rent a camel and head out to vacation in their deserts. Wouldn’t bother me a bit. Americans have a right to self-defense. That’s why we have a government. We expect our government to take all reasonable and legal actions that it can to protect us from all of those “peaceful” Islamic murderers who are so thirsty for American blood. It seems very fair to me to set up a system that, in essence, says “If your fingerprints don’t identify you as a criminal or a known terrorist you’re welcome to visit our country. If you don’t want to give us your fingerprints, stay home.” WHAA WHA WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! 
__________________
a simple truism: A man is neither free nor secure unless he is armed, because he may be easily coerced or killed by one who is. This is not a matter of philosophy, but of physics and physiology. “There is not in all America a more dangerous trait than the deification of mere smartness unaccompanied by any sense of moral responsibility.” Teddy Roosevelt, 1903 Speech
|
|
#14
06-07-2002, 10:22 AM
|
||||
|
||||
I am actually agreeable to this fingerprint plan, unless of course it eventually spreads to include U.S. citizens. When that happens I will not be happy.
|
|
#15
06-07-2002, 10:25 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
__________________
It is very difficult to post here and not react to TTs lies, CAs hate, the bigotry of Allegra and Princess and the hipocracy of Manu. About to be banned.
|
 |
| Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
| Thread Tools | |
|
|
