thedrifter
12-18-07, 05:47 AM
Article published Dec 18, 2007
Lawmakers seek whereabouts of Iraqi deserters
December 18, 2007
By Sara A. Carter - Two House Republicans are demanding answers from administration officials on the whereabouts of numerous Iraqi military and law-enforcement officials who fled during special intelligence training in the U.S. and the possible national-security implications of their disappearances.
Reps. Lamar Smith, ranking Judiciary Committee member, and John Culberson, both Texas Republicans, sent a letter Friday evening to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates after the agencies failed to provide information requested more than a year ago by Congress.
The Washington Times confirmed on Dec. 6 that five Iraqi officials training under the Department of the Army had disappeared between 2005 and 2007. Army officials did not know how many other Iraqis or Afghans sponsored by the Marines, Air Force and Navy may have done the same.
"Is an investigation into the disappearance of Iraqi and Afghan officials being conducted?" asked the letter, which contained a list of questions to be answered by the individual government departments.
"If so, who is leading the investigation ... Does the Department of Defense have any information regarding the possible terrorist ties of any of these officials? If so, to what terrorist groups are there ties?"
The Army reported the five missing Iraqi officers to the Department of Homeland Security and to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as Defense regulations require, said Harvey Perritt, civilian spokesman for U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Department of Defense officials stated the issue is being investigated but could not provide details on how many other Iraqi or Afghan officials have fled other military branches' training. ICE officials said they could not give details of any asylum requests because it could pose a danger to applicants and their families abroad.
Intelligence officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity said about a dozen Iraqis have fled military-training facilities in the U.S. According to intelligence sources, one was a brigadier general who fled to Canada earlier this year with his family and multiple false identification cards.
Last year, Mr. Smith sent a letter to Homeland Security regarding reports of Iraqi military and law-enforcement officials brought to the U.S. for training, but DHS officials referred the majority of the Texan's questions to State and Defense department officials.
Mr. Smith told The Washington Times the national security implications are serious because the trainees are "given access to highly sensitive information intended to help in the stabilization of Iraq." He added that proper screening for program participants and better oversight during training is necessary to protect soldiers overseas and national security.
Further, the House members are concerned that some of the foreign trainees fled the U.S. altogether with information that could expose military training facilities, personnel and intelligence capabilities, which could be used by extremists against U.S. interests.
Ellie
Lawmakers seek whereabouts of Iraqi deserters
December 18, 2007
By Sara A. Carter - Two House Republicans are demanding answers from administration officials on the whereabouts of numerous Iraqi military and law-enforcement officials who fled during special intelligence training in the U.S. and the possible national-security implications of their disappearances.
Reps. Lamar Smith, ranking Judiciary Committee member, and John Culberson, both Texas Republicans, sent a letter Friday evening to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates after the agencies failed to provide information requested more than a year ago by Congress.
The Washington Times confirmed on Dec. 6 that five Iraqi officials training under the Department of the Army had disappeared between 2005 and 2007. Army officials did not know how many other Iraqis or Afghans sponsored by the Marines, Air Force and Navy may have done the same.
"Is an investigation into the disappearance of Iraqi and Afghan officials being conducted?" asked the letter, which contained a list of questions to be answered by the individual government departments.
"If so, who is leading the investigation ... Does the Department of Defense have any information regarding the possible terrorist ties of any of these officials? If so, to what terrorist groups are there ties?"
The Army reported the five missing Iraqi officers to the Department of Homeland Security and to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as Defense regulations require, said Harvey Perritt, civilian spokesman for U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Department of Defense officials stated the issue is being investigated but could not provide details on how many other Iraqi or Afghan officials have fled other military branches' training. ICE officials said they could not give details of any asylum requests because it could pose a danger to applicants and their families abroad.
Intelligence officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity said about a dozen Iraqis have fled military-training facilities in the U.S. According to intelligence sources, one was a brigadier general who fled to Canada earlier this year with his family and multiple false identification cards.
Last year, Mr. Smith sent a letter to Homeland Security regarding reports of Iraqi military and law-enforcement officials brought to the U.S. for training, but DHS officials referred the majority of the Texan's questions to State and Defense department officials.
Mr. Smith told The Washington Times the national security implications are serious because the trainees are "given access to highly sensitive information intended to help in the stabilization of Iraq." He added that proper screening for program participants and better oversight during training is necessary to protect soldiers overseas and national security.
Further, the House members are concerned that some of the foreign trainees fled the U.S. altogether with information that could expose military training facilities, personnel and intelligence capabilities, which could be used by extremists against U.S. interests.
Ellie