CNSNews.com Staff Writer
May 11, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - Illegal aliens and foreign-born U.S. citizens accused of plotting to attack a military base in New Jersey may be part of a larger network, according to a counter-terrorism expert and members of Congress, who are also pushing for an enforcement-first approach to immigration.Although law enforcement officials have described the suspects as "homegrown terrorists" not linked to al Qaeda, Richard Miniter, an adjunct fellow with the Hudson Institute, believes this view is mistaken."The whole idea that these guys are part of a loose network is itself an intelligence failure," Miniter told Cybercast News Service. "When we really drill down deep enough, I will bet a million dollars you will find hard links to the al Qaeda network."Six Muslim men were arrested this week in connection with a plot to launch a terrorist assault on Fort Dix, a U.S. Army base in New Jersey.
Five of the foreign-born suspects have been charged with plotting to kill soldiers at the base. A sixth is charged with aiding and abetting in the illegal possession of firearms. Of the five facing the more serious charges, three are brothers believed to have entered the country illegally 23 years ago.Alluding to an apparent nexus between illegal immigration and terrorism, Miniter said that New Jersey and the greater New York area are attractive to terrorists because they contain large and diverse populations, including significant Arab-Muslim populations in places like Jersey City."They are looking for places where they can blend in," he said. "They want to find the biggest anthill close to population centers where they can carry out attacks."The foiled terrorist plot in New Jersey further highlights the need for tighter border security and stricter immigration polices, in the view of Rep. Tom Tancredo.
The Colorado Republican, who is running for his party's 2008 presidential nomination, expressed support for polices that would preclude "all immigration from countries that are state sponsors of terrorism." Currently, the State Department designates Iran, Syria, Sudan, Cuba and North Korea as sponsors of terrorism.Tancredo told Cybercast News Service that as president, he would also station "active duty troops" along the U.S. border. "We have to train people somewhere, so why not on the border?"Tancredo said policymakers need to be more aware of Islamists' efforts to transform the U.S. into a "caliphate." He called for the arrest of Muslim clerics who advocate the overthrow of the American government. "That's sedition, and they should be arrested," Tancredo said.
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http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200705/POL20070511a.html
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