DHS "Trusted Traveler" program clears terrorist travellers

March 21, 2013

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/03/dhs-trusted-traveler-program-clears-jihadist-countries-.html

DHS "Trusted Traveler" program clears jihadist countries

So many jihadists come from the Saudi school of wahhabi slaughter (i.e. Osama Bin Laden). If security measures are not for them, then who? You? Me? All of the national security constructs created by the Bush administration in the wake of the 911 slaughter (i.e. DHS, TSA) have gone off the rails. These agencies are broken and need to be dismantled. This is only going to get worse. Patriots, vets, tea party people -- they are the new targets of these police-state type orgs.

There is no rhyme, no reason, no logic to Obama national security policy. Remember, Fort Hood was "workplace violence."

DHS questioned over decision to let Saudi passengers skip normal passport controls FOX News, March 20, 2013 (thanks to Jamie)

A Department of Homeland Security program intended to give "trusted traveler" status to low-risk airline passengers soon will be extended to Saudi travelers, opening the program to criticism for accommodating the country that produced 15 of the 19 hijackers behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Sources voiced concern about the decision to the Investigative Project on Terrorism, which issued a report Wednesday on the under-the-radar announcement -- which was first made by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano after meeting in January with her Saudi counterpart. According to the IPT, this would be the first time the Saudi government has been given such a direct role in fast-tracking people for entry into the United States.

"I think you have radical Wahhabism in certain elements in Saudi Arabia, and I think to be more lenient there than in other places would be a mistake," Rep. Frank Wolf told the Investigative Project on Terrorism. "There were 15 [hijackers] from that country, and there is a lot taking place in that region."

Only an exclusive handful of countries enjoy inclusion in the Global Entry program -- Canada, Mexico, South Korea and the Netherlands. According to the IPT, some officials are questioning why Saudi Arabia gets to reap the benefits of the program, when key U.S. allies like Germany and France are not enrolled; Israel has reached a deal with the U.S., but that partnership has not yet been implemented.

Any Saudi travelers cleared through the program will be able to bypass the normal customs line after providing passports and fingerprints. The status lasts for five years.

The decision is a turnaround, the IPT notes, from when Saudi Arabia was briefly placed on a list of countries whose U.S.-bound travelers would face higher scrutiny, in the wake of the failed Christmas Day bombing attempt in 2009.

But Napolitano spoke highly of "the bond between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" when she announced the change in January.

"By enhancing collaboration with the government of Saudi Arabia, we reaffirm our commitment to more effectively secure our two countries against evolving threats while facilitating legitimate trade and travel," Napolitano said.

The Global Entry program was launched in 2008 to expedite pre-approved passengers through the airport customs and security process when they arrive in the U.S. The program is designed to weed out low-risk passengers and enable authorities to zero in on those who may be more likely to pose a threat.