Policy lets terrorists into U.S.

Visa waiver makes Britain's 'homegrown' jihadists threat in America
Publishing Date: 02.03.07 19:34
By F. Michael Maloof

A recent British intelligence revelation that "homegrown" terrorists are ready to strike from within Great Britain also poses a security threat to the U.S.
The basis for that threat is the Visa Waiver Program, or VWP, which exists between the U.S. and Great Britain.
The program allows anyone subject to the Visa Waiver Program to sidestep in-place security procedures that screen for terrorists.
Al-Qaida gives guidance
British security officials have revealed there are some 200 cells involving more than 1,600 people. Many under surveillance have links back to al-Qaida in Pakistan.
"Through those links, al-Qaida gives guidance and training to its largely British foot soldiers here on an extensive and growing scale," a British security official said.
Last year, British authorities broke up a transatlantic plot by some 24 British citizens of Pakistani origin to detonate explosives carried on board several airliners traveling from the UK to the U.S.
Great Britain, however, is but one of 27 countries whose citizens are not required to obtain visas to enter the U.S.
The other countries under the Visa Waiver Program are Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The U.S. recently enacted a screening program for Pakistanis arriving in the U.S., but it has limited impact, because potential terrorists from the visa-waiver countries are not limited to Pakistanis.
Terrorist recruits
Countries under the VWP have some of Europe's largest populations of Muslims, many of whom have expressed dissatisfaction with their economic, political and social condition.