Terror war spilling across border

Concern rising following arrest of al-Qaida suspect in Mexico

A U.S. lawmaker says elements of the war on terror are now spilling across the nation's southwestern border, and that colleagues he's spoken to who have seen the problem first-hand, as he has, say they felt safer "during trips to Iraq than they would have in a pickup truck on our southern border."

Rep. John A. Culberson, R-Texas, also says there has been an increase in apprehensions of so-called "special interest aliens," or SIAs � aliens from countries where al-Qaida is known to be in operation � along the U.S.-Mexico border, and that American law enforcement and intelligence agencies are aware of it.

Further, an increasing number of Texas law enforcement officials are reporting al-Qaida-related arrests and activity, and say the nation's porous borders are making it easier for suspected terrorists to infiltrate the U.S.

In testimony Nov. 10 before the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims, Culberson � a member of the congressional Immigration Reform Caucus headed by Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo � told the panel, "I am particularly concerned that aliens from countries such as Iraq, Iran, Syria, Indonesia and the Sudan are entering our country illegally."

He went on to tell members he questioned FBI Director Robert Mueller Jr. during a hearing before the House Science, State, Justice, Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee in March and asked him specifically "about SIAs entering the United States across the southern border."

"� He testified under oath that this was in fact occurring," Culberson said, according to his testimony transcript, a copy of which was obtained by WND. "Specifically, [Mueller] stated that '[t]he FBI has received reports that individuals from countries with known al-Qaida connections have attempted to enter the U.S. illegally using alien smuggling rings and assuming Hispanic appearances. An FBI investigation into these reports continues.'"

Culberson went on to testify that SIAs were trying to thwart authorities by scrapping their Arabic surnames and adopting Hispanic ones, "to elude detection and blend into the flood of illegal immigrants coming across the southern border."

Because of this and other findings, Culberson declared, "I am convinced that our porous borders present the most serious national security threat that America faces."