Refugee Iraqi indicted for "material support of terrorism."

" Al Hardan received training on how to use an AK-47 assault rifle in November 2014 on a farm outside Houston from a confidential informant who was working with federal authorities.

During the hearing, Wittliff read aloud excerpts from a conversation that authorities had recorded between Al Hardan and his wife in October 2014. Prosecutors did not say how the recording was obtained.

“Once I get the passport I will leave America, I will leave. I will make a widow of you,” Al Hardan said to his wife, according to the excerpt read in court. “I will go to Syria. I am not wacko. I am not wacko. I am speaking the truth. I want to blow myself up. I want to blow myself up … I am against America.”

Wittliff also testified authorities had a photograph showing Al Hardan had taken an oath on a Quran to the Islamic State and that in the closet of his bedroom, agents found an Islamic State flag and a prayer to do list in which he spoke about receiving strength to be able to commit jihad and becoming a martyr."  WTOP.com

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This fellow has not yet been convicted of "material support to terrorism."  That should be remembered.

Nevertheless, it should also be remembered that he and his brother evidently got through the much discussed "refugee vetting process" to enter the US as officially designated refugees.  That is an ominous thing.

The jihadi groups have clearly stated goals of infiltrating people into the US for the kind of attacks and activities that the DHS/FBI recorded al-hardan as saying that he intended to do.

Particularly irritating is his talk of "getting the passport."  I have heard that phrase all too often in the ME from people who wanted a US passport not because they wanted to become Americans but rather because it would be a convenience.

Perhaps, Governor Abbott is not wrong about retroactive screening of recent refugees who entered the US under the refugee clearance program.  pl 

 

http://wtop.com/national/2016/01/iraqi-refugee-held-without-bail-on-terror-related-charges/

Comments

[Abu Sinan]

The whole passport issue brings up another subject. It is a very common thing for those Arabs with the means to travel to the US to have their children. This is done for the better healthcare system, but it is primarily done to get the child a passport. The child then automatically becomes a citizen and has the ability to later get green cards and eventually citizenship for their siblings, parents, even wider members of the family.

It would be interesting to find out just how many tens of thousands of such citizens are sitting in the Middle East, waiting to become adults and then moving to the US and asking to bring their family members over?

Personally it would be worth looking into this issue to see if something can and should be done about it. Citizenship conveyed by birth in the US is one thing, but I dont think it was ever meant for people to purposely travel to the US for no real reason other than to get a passport.

[Babak Makkinejad]

This guy is just plain nuts.

[Aka]

sir,
"Once I get the passport I will leave America, I will leave. I will make a widow of you"

what exactly is his widow suppose to do after he get himself blown up? Is she also suppose to become a "black widow" according to that ideology?

[alba etie]

All
Yes a re-screening of all recent refugees ( last eighten months perhaps )is in order . Additionally we also need to look hard at the Visa waiver agreements - how do we effectively screen visa waived individuals - especially from the EU ?

[BabelFish]

As we like to say, insanity is doing the same thing that failed over again and expecting a better result. It is time for our government to rethink these procedures and admit they will fail often enough to make everyone unhappy. I can't say what they should do differently but better to make the effort than to stop allowing people in. If they can't improve the processes or won't, what else is there than to either be bleating sheepels or stop all immigration?

[Babak Makkinejad]

Chinese, Korean, Turks, Russians, Taiwanese, Central Americans and many others all do that, if they can afford it.

Then they bring their families and have them go on SSI; with subsidized housing etc.

[Tyler]

There was a case here in Casa Grande where an Iraqi refugee bombed the SSA office (failed) and murdered a ranch hand. Its been effectively memory holed.

http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/casa-grande-social-security-office-bombing-feds-may-dismiss-some/article_1632871e-ee2b-11e2-aaed-0019bb2963f4.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Grande_bombing

The use of the term "biometrics" is also on purpose, because it sounds fancy and makes people think of psychic brain scans for Terrorism Think vs. the reality of "we take fingerprints and see what might pop up".

[The Twisted Genius]

I'm with Babak on this. He's just plain nuts. He's as nutty and as dangerous as that Louisiana movie theater shooter, John Russel Hauser. Having said that, retroactive screening of recent refugees is still a good idea. That jihadi threat is real.

[The Beaver]

Babak

It is called 'anchor babies" or birth tourists". It was very common in Canada until the Conservative govt changed part of the law wrt jus soli, the right of citizenship arising from being born “on the soil” of Canada in 2014.

They can bring their family only when they reach their 18th birthday ( Can) or 21st b.d in the US.

[William Fitzgerald]

No. It was meant to give citizenship to the newly freed slaves. The large majority having been born in the U.S.

WPFIII

[LeaNder]

Is there subsidized housing in the US?

And how is this related to people that can afford it?

[LeaNder]

Babak, I am not sure if this works, considering I wouldn't be here: Less due to an emotional reaction to 9/11, but no doubt curious about the aftermath.

[my.comment]

the article does note that he came in 2009.. i'm guessing that the 'vetting' process has been toughened since them -- although the san bernadino couple indicates not.

and the mention re the cellphones reminded me of something i'd read a couple of weeks ago -- mass purchases of cell phones; and the theft of dozens of propane tanks, mostly in missouri.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/13/cops-investigating-more-suspicious-cellphone-buys-propane-tank-thefts.html

[annamaria]

"...but better to make the effort than to stop allowing people in."
Perhaps, the first steps should be putting on trial those scoundrels that, by using fraud and lies made the US service people going into the Middle East countries. As Mrs. Clinton has uttered, "We came, we saw, he died." Would not it be much better, for the millions of human beings, if "he" did not die but continue being in charge of the formerly prosperous state of Libya? Would not it be great if for each refugee from the ruined Middle East we could send out someone from the families of Kagans, Bush, Cheney, Kristol, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, Perle .... adding to that crowd the treasonous Baybee and Yoo.

[Abu Sinan]

I think we, as a country, need to revisit the idea that anyone, besides the children of diplomats, born in the US automatically becomes a US citizen. I, personally, dont think that anyone born here whose parents were not legal residents, should get automatically citizenship. If your parents are illegal, you should get the citizenship they hold. If you are here in the US "visiting" any child you have here should get your citizenship, not US citizenship. I believe it is this way in the majority of the world. Just being born some place does not confer citizenship. I was born in Germany and my father has German ancestry, but because he wasnt German, I have no right to a German passport.

[Charles Michael]

Wow !
- I will make a widow of you
- come on darling don't wait, jump by the window

[Liza]

The Canadian government decided to only admit families with young children. Considering what has happened in Cologne and elsewhere in Europe, this seems like a sound policy. However, the policy cannot be considered foolproof against a terrorist attack: some ISIS fighters have reportedly brought their families to Raqqa.

[turcopolier]

LeAnder

There is a lot of subsidized housing in the US. Where I live the city administers five or six levels of support based on degree of economic hardship in the "client." pl

[walrus]

Changing the law regarding citizenship will cause a collision with the Supreme Court over the Fourteenth Amendment as expressed in Afroyim vs. Rusk.

The Fourteenth Amendment says that a child born in the U.S. is a U.S. Citizen.

Afroyim vs. Rusk says that the Government cannot remove citizenship involuntarily. Basically that is because it would be self referential to do that - the government being created by the citizens themselves.

A dual national or foreign parent can't remove a Childs american citizenship either.

[jerseycityjoan]

We do have subsidized housing but there's not nearly enough of it now to meet legitimate needs.

As we continue on the march from around 315 million people in the US today to around 400 million by 2050 (with most of the increase due to immigrants and their descendants), tens of millions of American families won't be able to afford market rate housing.

As the price of land and real estate increases along with our population, it seems inevitable that we'll soon have a housing crisis more severe than we've ever experienced or imagined. Yet no one in or out of government seems to have given this any thought.

[steveg]

LeaNder

"subsidized housing in USA"
Earth to Cologne. Do you read me?
I hear you 5by5. How you me, over?

[turcopolier]

JCJ

Perhaps that is true in Jersey City. In Alexandria, Virginia there is more than enough public housing and it is of high quality. pl

[jerseycityjoan]

I found an article from a few days ago that gives a detailed account of Al-Hardan's family history.

He's 24 and spent much of his life in refugee camps. He has an 18 year old wife and a 10 month old baby. They live with his parents, supposedly on $1000 a month and some government benefits. His Palestinian family moved to Iraq in the 1940s but were never given citizenship there.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Terror-charges-baffle-suspect-s-family-6749760.php

[turcopolier]

JCJ

What? Your heart bleeds for him? pl

[Babak Makkinejad]

Actually, I think because of your German ancestry, you might have the right to a German passport. That is how all those Russians calling themselves "Volga Germans" moved to the Federal Republic.

If you doubt me, ask CP - he will tell you.