12:38 - PDT - June 26, 2012 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - In a June 24 letter addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Peter King [R-NY], Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, demanded an explanation from the Secretary regarding the granting of a visa to Hani Nour Eldin, an apparently self-admitted member of Gama' a al-Islamiyya [the Islamic Group] which is based in Egypt and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization. [source, National Counter Terrorism Center, http://www.nctc.gov/site/other/fto.html] In the letter Mr. King said that Hani Nour Eldin had reportedly [see, Eli Lake, Member of Egyptian Terror Group Goes to Washington, The Daily Beast, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/21/member-of-egyptian-terror-group-goes-to-washington.html] declared his membership in the group on his Face book page:
"Mr. Eldin's membership in the Islamic Group is a matter of public record, and reportedly even disclosed on his Facebook page. Nonetheless, Eldin met with senior Department of State and National Security Staff officials during the past week, and as reflected in media reports requested the transfer of the jailed leader of his terrorist group, Omar Abdel Rahman, to Egyptian custody."
According to the Beast, Eldin's purpose in visiting the U.S. where he met with senior administration officials, was to lobby for the "transfer" of Omar Abdel Rahman [aka, the Blind Sheikh, who is Gama'a al Islamiyya's spiritual leader] from the federal prison in North Carolina where he is serving a life sentence after having been convicted in 1995 [prosecution spearheaded by Andrew McCarthy] for his role in a conspiracy to bomb New York landmarks, to his native Egypt where he will supposedly receive a "fair" trial.
"In his meetings with senior Obama administration officials, Eldin says, he asked Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough about transferring Abdel-Rahman to an Egyptian prison. He said his request was declined. "When I raised this issue in the White House I was told it was not in their authority and all judicial issues relating to sentences must be discussed with the Department of Justice," he says. Transferring Abdel-Rahman, says Eldin, "would be a gift to the revolution." McDonough didn't reply to requests for comment made Thursday afternoon." [source, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/21/member-of-egyptian-terror-group-goes-to-washington.html >
In the letter King stated that,. "Accordingly, pursuant to Rule X, Clauses 2(a) and 3(g)(1), and Rule XI, Clause 1(b)(1) of the House of Representatives, I request answers to the following questions" then demanded answers to the following questions:
1. What U.S. Government department or agency sponsored Eldin's visa application, and for what reason?
2. What steps did that department or agency take to trace Eldin's background? Was it aware of his membership in the Islamic Group, or not?
3. What information, if any, did the department or agency sponsoring Eldin's visit share with the Department of Homeland Security regarding Eldin's membership in a designated terrorist organization and his pending visit to the United States?
4. What rationale did Customs and Border Protection apply to allow Eldin's admittance into the United States? And, when entering the country, did Eldin undergo secondary inspection?
5. What information, if any, was relayed to the United States Secret Service (USSS) in advance of this Islamic Group member's appointment at the White House? Did the USSS express any security concerns about the location of this meeting?
6. During his visit to the United States, did Eldin engage in any activities which might constitute material support for terrorism under 18 U.S.C. § 2339B?
7. What policies and procedures are in place regarding interagency notifications of visits of members of designated terrorist organizations to the United States?
8. What is the position of the Department of Homeland Security regarding any potential custodial transfer, or release, of Omar Abdel Rahman?"
Noting the immediacy of the concern, Rep. King requested a written response no later than, "Tuesday, July 3, 2012. If you have any questions regarding this inquiry, please contact me directly..."
This is a serious matter, worse than the already egregious case of the Secretary of State, granting a visa to the Muslim Brotherhood linked Tariq Ramadan who was barred from entering the U.S. as a security risk, that is until President Obama was elected. Upon entering the U.S. Ramadan proceeded to engage in a nationwide Islamist apologetics tour, centering primarily on college campuses.
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