Runaway Iraqi Security Trainees Roam the U.S.
Posted by StormWarning on 07 Dec 2007 at 10:21 pm | Tagged as: Current Affairs, Domestic Terrorism, Iraq, National Security, Opinions
Our Nation already faces narco-terror threats from U.S. special ops trained Mexicans (Los Zetas - heavily armed paramilitary soldiers who are employed by the Mexican drug trafficking organizations who had been trained by our own military and DEA officials). Now it is revealed that a number of Iraqis in the U.S. for intelligence and security training have gone missing. Michael Cutler on the Counterterrorism Blog comments on this potential security issue.
This is an extremely serious situation for a number of reasons. First of all, these soldiers are apparently needed by the Iraqi government to create an effective military force to stabilize that nation. Soldiers who seek asylum or go missing in American are obviously not going to help Iraq. Of even greater concern is the fact that hundreds of such soldiers who have gone missing may pose a threat to our nation’s security. These people are soldiers. They have received training into military tactics, intelligence and weaponry by our people so they understand how we operated. (Sounds similar to the Zeta fiasco, doesn’t it?). Didn’t the federal officials responsible for the Iraqi soldiers recall the words of the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that “there are elements of the Iraqi police and elements of Iraqi Army that are infiltrated” by terrorist elements?
Most concerning is that it seems that our government doesn’t know where these guys are (”gone to ground”)…further, as expressed by Cutler, this situation illustrates that “while our porous borders are an areas of grave concern, the borders are not the only area of vulnerability. The immigration system is dysfunctional and imperil our safety and the survival of our nation on a daily basis.”
While some are seeking asylum (fearing that they will be targeted by insurgents if they return to Iraq after their training), others have simply disappeared. If you consider the possibility that General Pace (above) stated that the Iraqi army and security police had been infiltrated by terrorist elements, we are dealing with a significant security breach here.
● nearly a dozen Iraqis fled military training facilities in the U.S., including a brigadier general who went to Canada with his family earlier this year.
● five Iraqi military personnel whom the Army had been training disappeared between 2005 and 2007. They did not know how many other Iraqis sponsored by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy may have done the same.
● Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, says the national security implications are serious and the Bush administration must do more to ensure that those brought to the U.S. are properly accounted for…”The trainees are given access to highly sensitive information intended to help in the stabilization of Iraq. Proper screening for entry into the program and strict controls during the training are necessary to protect both our national security and our soldiers overseas…”
● two Iraqi officers fled in the middle of their training from Fort Huachuca, Ariz., the nation’s largest intelligence training facility. One officer disappeared from Fort Benning, Ga., where he was participating in combat arms training.
● Another Iraqi officer who was studying medical training left Fort Sam Houston and the last two Iraqi officers fled the Army’s defense language training school at Lackland Air Force Base
We walk a very thin line…it is a delicate balance between working toward a secure Iraq (something I still have doubts about accomplishing that goal). Generally I spend the time to comment on articles and subjects like this one. Cutler has done a good job. Gertz’ article in the Washington Times details it as well. I have little to add of my own. EXCEPT if we don’t learn our lessons (like the Zetas) we are bound to cause ourselves an internal problem.
Ft. Benning, Ft. Huachuca, Ft. Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Los Zetas, Zetas
I heard about this. It is very discouraging. If these guys are terrorists or have ill intent toward the US, then it is a tragedy for us all. If they simply don’t want to go back to Iraq, who could blame them for wanting to disappear into the beautiful and free United States of America and start new lives. I’m not saying it’s right in either case, but I could understand their motives.
As you point out, our immigration system is flawed. But this goes further than immigration. SOMEBODY should have been watching these guys very closely. Their movements should have been very limited and always supervised.
Actually, it is a function of a flawed immigration program. The Dept. o f State should have been watching these people more closely, but it is still an indication of a problem with Immigration.