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Fake passport ring busted in Columbia

Posted by: Sister Toldjah on January 27, 2006 at 10:29 am

In spite of the claims from those who want you to think that Iraq ‘distracted us’ from the global war on terror (which they won’t admit includes Iraq) the fight against Al Qaeda continues on and today the AP is reporting that a fake passport ring connected to Al Qaeda and Hamas has been busted:

Colombian has dismantled a false passport ring with links to al-Qaida and Hamas militants, the acting attorney general said Thursday after authorities led dozens of simultaneous raids across five cities in collaboration with U.S. officials.

In Washington, however, Justice and Homeland Security officials were surprised by the announcement of the investigation, which they said involved people posing as members of Colombia’s largest rebel army, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC — not al-Qaida or Hamas.

Colombian officials said the gang allegedly supplied an unknown number of citizens from Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and other countries with false passports and Colombian nationality without them ever setting foot in the country.

An undisclosed number of those arrested are wanted for working with the al-Qaida terror network and the militant Palestinian group Hamas, said acting Attorney General Jorge Armando Otalora.

The counterfeit Colombian, Spanish, Portugese and German passports were used to enter the United States and Europe, he said.

But Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra said an indictment unsealed Wednesday in Miami charges 10 foreign nationals with smuggling “people that they thought were members of FARC into the United States.”

“We are not alleging any connections to any terror organization other than the FARC,” said Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra.

…. he said with a ‘wink and a nod’ ;) This was a sting operation against Al Qaeda. Bank on it.

Hat tip to the Anchoresss.

Captain Ed’s take:

Three Iraqis traveled to Colombia in 2002, before our invasion, on Israeli passports supplied by al-Qaeda and Hamas. That sounds like a good indication of a connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda, I would think. Does anyone wonder what their final destination was, or how they planned on getting there? And does anyone else find it interesting that Hamas and al-Qaeda launched joint operations to send people to the United States back in 2002, or even earlier than that, well before we invaded Iraq? This also tends to put the Hamas victory in the Palestinian Authority elections in a new light. If they’re teaming up with al-Qaeda on missions against the US, then we should treat them just the same as we do al-Qaeda, and wipe them out, regardless of their electoral status in the West Bank and Gaza.

I second that.

Related Toldjah So post:

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    • 11 Responses to “Fake passport ring busted in Columbia”

    Comments

    1. sanity says:
      January 27, 2006 at 11:32 am

      The NSA program just went from an academic exercise to a practical application. The Colombians know that at least eight people snuck through on faked passports and are now in the United States. Do you suppose that an NSA program designed to check international calls might help locate these suspects — and perhaps help stop a planned attack on an American target? Obviously, this long-term and expensive project by the al-Qaeda/Hamas partnership has some grand mission in mind. They’re not traveling to the US for their health; they want to stage new attacks on the American mainland.

      How does everyone feel about that international surveillance now? Sounds like a pretty damned good idea, doesn’t it?

      The Capt sums it up quite nicely.

      In Bin Ladens video he states there are already cells here in the US. We have proof that they have been sneaking in with false identifications by this report.

      How much more does the media and the democrats want to whine about warrantless INTERNATIONAL wire taps?

      I’m sorry, but if it protects US citizens by finding out information where we can prevent a terrorist attack on US soil, I have no problem with it at all.

      In fact there would not be the uproar that this has caused if it had not been for illegal leaks of classified information to the NYT, which the NYT knew it was classified information but ran with it anyways, which would make them accomplices in these leaks. If none of this would have been leaked in the first place no one would even care and the the media and democrats would not be spinning this as Domestic Spying (something the Clinton Administration did) and not as International Eaves Dropping as what this is.

      I agree with the Capt on this, it sure makes the International Eaves Dropping a helluva good idea in my opinion. If your talking with terrorists, I want our Government to know so they can do something about it before it becomes to late.

    2. sanity says:
      January 27, 2006 at 11:50 am

      Meanwhile Iran wants DIRECT flights to the US:

      Iran has asked the United States to allow direct flights between the two countries after a break of more than two decades, a senior civil aviation official said on Thursday.

      The request comes as the United States and its European Union allies are pressing for the Islamic Republic to be reported to the United Nations Security Council where it could face possible sanctions for its nuclear program.

      “We sent a letter to the relevant American officials on Wednesday, announcing Iran’s willingness to resume direct flights,” Nourollah Rezai-Niaraki, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, told state television.

      He said the decision to make the request was taken by hardline Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad due to demand from the large Iranian community living in the United States.

      “They have repeatedly complained about wasting time and losing their baggage on connecting flights,” the official said.

      Iranian airliners have been barred from the United States since the US government broke ties with Tehran after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

      An Iranian civil aviation spokesman said Ahmadinejad’s decision did not signal any move to try to improve relations between the two old foes. “I hope American officials do not adopt a political stance in making a decision on this request,” said spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh.

      The United States and the EU accuse Iran of trying to make nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program. Tehran says it needs nuclear technology to satisfy booming domestic electricity demand.

      Iran is subject to US economic sanctions imposed in 1996, under the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act. Due to the sanctions, Iran has struggled to maintain its ageing fleet of aircraft, mostly US-built Boeing planes bought before the 1979 revolution.

      LINK

      Iran, who at this time wish to “wipe Israel off the map”, wishes to have direct flights to the US, an ally to Israel.

      Umm…No.

      Let me think about that for a moment….

      HELL NO. Are you out of your ever-loving mind?!?!

    3. steve says:
      January 27, 2006 at 1:27 pm

      Urbie is the only guy in South America that will speak to bush and he’s got a fake passport program going on? With friends like that who needs enemies? Peace

    4. sanity says:
      January 27, 2006 at 1:39 pm

      And your sources are………?

    5. steve says:
      January 27, 2006 at 7:34 pm

      Sanity, huh? Urbie is the president of Columbia. Columbia is in South America. He, like bush is a greedy capitalist warmonger(sorce:just look at them). Peace

    6. sanity says:
      January 27, 2006 at 9:27 pm

      What does Uribe have to do with this anyways?

      Nice accusation that you give without proof, again.

      Where in this article does it say this is handled and directed by Uribe?

      Since you say Uribe is the only guy in South America that will speak to bush and he’s got a fake passport program going on?

      In fact this doesn’t say anything about his hand being in this, but some background on Uribe might help you understand him and his association with the US:

      Since gaining office, Uribe’s concrete actions would tend to show him as a stringent enemy of narcotics traffickers, as his administration has been responsible for arresting and extraditing more drug traffickers to the United States and to other countries than all other presidents to date.

      He has also been publicly recognized as a supporter of the United States in the war on terror (supporting the invasion of Iraq despite internal opinions to the contrary) and in the war on drugs, through the continued implementation of the anti-drug strategy of Plan Colombia.

      In a November 22 visit to the coastal city of Cartagena, U.S. President George W. Bush stood by the results of Colombian president Uribe’s security policies and declared his support for continuing to provide Plan Colombia aid in the future: “My nation will continue to help Colombia prevail in this vital struggle. Since the year 2000, when we began Plan Colombia, the United States has provided more than $3 billion in vital aid. We’ll continue providing aid. We’ve helped Colombia to strengthen its democracy, to combat drug production, to create a more transparent and effective judicial system, to increase the size and professionalism of its military and police forces, to protect human rights, and to reduce corruption. Mr. President, you and your government have not let us down. Plan Colombia enjoys wide bipartisan support in my country, and next year I will ask our Congress to renew its support so that this courageous nation can win its war against narco-terrorists.”

      The Uribe administration has maintained generally positive diplomatic relations with Spain and most Latin American nations.

      Several analysts consider that, being a relative ally of the United States, he would be ideologically opposed to leftwing governments in Latin America and elsewhere. Despite these ideological differences, Uribe has participated in multilateral meetings and has held bilateral summits with presidents Hugo Chávez, Martín Torrijos, Lula da Silva, Ricardo Lagos, Carlos Mesa and Vicente Fox, among others. Colombia has also maintained diplomatic relations with Cuba and the People’s Republic of China.

      Again, this states that the Columbians have found / investigated and discovered this and is sharing this information and helping the US. I say it is pretty good policy in having cooperation between our countries so they help with information that is vital in protecting US citizens.

      But I am sure you have more negativity to hurl out here, so go ahead….

    7. Baklava says:
      January 28, 2006 at 12:43 am

      You make too much sense sanity! You’ve sanitized me =))

    8. J Rob says:
      January 28, 2006 at 4:37 am

      Okay, I read this thread and go back and forth between the country in South Am. and the capitol of South Carolina. At the risk of sounding pedantic, “Columbia” is the capitol of South Carolina (and is NOT in South America). “Colombia” is the geo-political entity in South America.
      Steve, get your facts straight! The fake passport enterprise was not being carried out by the Colombian government. You might be taken a bit more seriously if you actually did research rather than spouting the first thought that pops into your head with nothing to support it beyond your opinion.

    9. Big Bang Hunter says:
      January 28, 2006 at 8:33 am

      - S’ok J Rob – I was surprised our resident “dude”, from out where the buses don’t run, didn’t pin the whole fake passport operation on the evil neocon crew of the Columbia space shuttle…..

      - Bang 8-}

    10. J Rob says:
      January 28, 2006 at 9:23 am

      It was all a plot to stop one of the astronauts from running for president as a Dem. I mean, just look at him, it’s all the proof you need.:-@