Chambliss Expresses Outrage at Terrorist Visas

March 13, 2002

WASHINGTON-U.S. Representative Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, today was outraged at news that two of the terrorists responsible for the devastation of September 11, 2001, were sent student visa approval forms at the technical aviation school they attended in Florida.

“While recent events have made us more aware of the communication breakdowns in our system, this incident further highlights the long road ahead of us in our efforts to protect our citizens at home,” Chambliss said. “Immediate, corrective measures must be taken by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to ensure that individuals with known connections to terrorist organizations are not permitted to remain in this country. I am outraged that such oversight continues, and I join President Bush, Governor Ridge and Attorney General Ashcroft in urging a full investigation of this incident and whatever measures are necessary to ensure the safety of the American public.”

Monday of this week-exactly six months after the terrorist attacks-a Florida flight school attended by two of the September 11 terrorists received student visa approval forms for the two men. The two men originally entered the country on visitors’ visas, then applied for M-1 student visas. Students are usually allowed to remain in the country while their visas are processed. The two men were actually granted student visas last summer but the forms were delayed due to a backlog in the paperwork process.

Last week, Chambliss sponsored legislation to increase information sharing between federal agencies and local law enforcement and emergency responders. The Homeland Security Information Sharing Act (H.R. 3825) calls for the development of procedures enabling greater information sharing between federal agencies and state and local personnel, the use of existing technology to convert intelligence into a format that can be easily shared through declassification, and increase in the number of security clearance investigations at the state and local level to facilitate information sharing. The bill has broad support from members of Congress.