Brit Terror Suspects Have US Ties…No Surprise!
Counterterrorism blog
As the investigation of the 7/7 London terror attacks evolves, we are now learning at least two of the suspects have ties to and likely spent time in the United States. Magdy Mahmoud Mustafa el-Nashar, the Leeds University biochemistry professor just arrested in Egypt who is suspected of being linked to the attacks, apparently studied at the University of North Carolina for at least one semester in 1999. Suicide bombing suspect Lindsay Germaine (and several variations thereof), is believed to have been a Jamaican-born British citizen who visited his US-living mother in Ohio perhaps several times. US law enforcement authorities are now aggressively pursuing leads related to these matters.
The London attacks occurred under everyone’s radar. Obviously the Intelligence, security and law enforcement services of all the Good Guys failed to prevent, preempt and disrupt that one…and the Brits are among the best at at least keeping tabs on the bad guys.
Once again, we are tragically reminded how tragically un-secure our border and immigration systems truly are. It is quite likely all the suspects, at least the ones publicly identified so far, would have been able to easily enter the US under the visa waiver program through 7/6. How many others like the 7/7 terrorists already have? That is the real problem in this regard. Notwithstanding all the assurances from our Government authorities that we are safer since 9/11, and to be fair we are safer in some regards, the truth is it is still very easy for alien terrorists, especially those who are dangerously “clean” to the Intelligence and law enforcement communities, to enter the United States because our border and immigration controls are woefully inadequate. And, as I’ve said before, we should not only be concerned about those terrorist aliens who may yet arrive at our borders, but also be even more concerned about the very many who have taken advantage of our immigration chaos over the years and are already here.
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