Meanwhile Back in Syria, Destruction

Posted on January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 by Denise Simon

Extremists destroy 13th century Muslim tomb in Syria

Nusra Front Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda have blown up the 13th century tomb of a revered Islamic scholar in southern Syria, Syrian state news agency SANA and monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported.

The mausoleum of Imam Nawawi is in Nawa in Deraa province near the Jordanian border, a town captured by groups fighting the Syrian government in November.

The Nusra Front follows the same puritanical interpretation of Sunni Islam adopted by the Islamic State group that has also destroyed shrines in areas of eastern and northern Syria that it controls. They see tombs as sacrilegious.

Investigators confident that chlorine gas was used in 3 Syrian villages

UNITED NATIONS — Chemical weapons investigators concluded “with a high degree of confidence” that chlorine gas was used as a weapon against three opposition-controlled villages in Syria last year, affecting between 350 and 500 people and killing 13, according to a report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

The third report by a fact-finding mission from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons didn’t apportion blame but said 32 of 37 people interviewed “saw or heard the sound of a helicopter over the village at the time of the attack with barrel bombs containing toxic chemicals.”

The investigators said 26 people heard the distinctive “whistling” sound of the falling barrel bombs containing toxic chemicals and 16 visited the impact sites and saw the bombs or their remnants. They said 29 people smelled “the distinctive odor of the gas cloud” released after the bombs hit the ground, mainly describing it “as intense, chlorine-like, similar to cleaning material used to clean toilets, but much stronger.”

The report includes a description of 142 videos and 189 pieces of material obtained by the investigators as well as photos of impact sites and the inner chlorine cylinder from a barrel bomb.

The mission was established by the OPCW on April 29 to establish the facts surrounding allegations of the use of chlorine “for hostile purposes” in Syria. Chlorine gas is readily available and is used in industry around the world, but it can also be used as a weapon.

The U.N. Security Council has been intensely involved in the issue of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria. After an August 2013 sarin gas attack near Damascus in which the U.S. says more than 1,400 people were killed, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution backed by the U.S. and Russia on Sept. 27, 2013, ordering Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile to be destroyed. U.N. investigators could not find enough evidence to assess blame for the sarin attack. Syria’s declared chemical weapons stockpiles have since been destroyed under international supervision, but questions remain about whether it may still be hiding deadly chemical agents.

Chlorine gas is not listed as a chemical weapon. But eight council members, including the United States, said in a Dec. 30 letter accompanying the OPCW report that the 2013 resolution also states that any use of chemical weapons threatens international peace and security and must be condemned.

The 15 council members discussed the fact-finding mission’s report behind closed doors Tuesday, and diplomats said the U.S. and other Western nations who signed the letter along with Jordan urged Security Council action in response to the findings. But Russia, Syria’s closest ally, insisted that the report on chlorine attacks was an issue for the OPCW, which polices the Chemical Weapons Convention, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because consultations were private.

Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad told an OPCW meeting on Dec. 1 that his government has never used chemical weapons or chlorine gas during the country’s four-year civil war, which has claimed over 200,000 lives and displaced one third of the country’s population. He said terror groups “have used chlorine gas in several of the regions of Syria and Iraq.”

But U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power tweeted that “only Syrian regime uses (helicopters).” She also tweeted that the Syrian “Regime must be shown it is not enough to destroy declared CW (chemical weapons); must stop dropping chemical-laden explosives on civilians.”

The investigators interviewed 14 people from the village of Talmenes in Idlib governorate about barrel bomb attacks on April 21 and April 24. At two houses that were hit, a 7-year-old boy, a teenage girl, and the matriarch of a family died from exposure to chlorine gas, they said. Domestic animals including cows, goats and sheep also died at both houses.

Fourteen people from the village of Al Tamanah, also in Idlib, were interviewed by the mission’s investigators about five incidents in April and May – all but one at night. Eight members of two families who had sought refuge in the village died shortly after separate attacks involving the toxic chemical, the report said.

Investigators said they interviewed nine people from Kafr Zita in Hama Governorate in northern Syria and were told that the village had been the target of hundreds of attacks with conventional weapons and 17 attacks using toxic chemicals between April and August.

Obama Starts off New Year with Veto Pen

Posted on January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 by Denise Simon

The State of the Union speech is right around the corner and Barack Obama flying Air Force 1 into overdrive pushing items he wants to take credit for including lower gas prices.

President Obama Chooses Vetoes Over Veterans

President Obama has enough time to threaten to veto three bipartisan bills from Congress. His Administration made room in the schedule to issue 300 new rules in the first week of the new year. The President is even taking the time to tell people what cars they should buy.

But he can’t seem to find a single spare minute to visit the Phoenix VA at the center of a nationwide scandal even though his motorcade drove right past it today.

The Veterans Affairs system is still broken. Though the House and Senate passed the start of good reform last year, the bureaucracy still needs major reforms so that veterans get the care they need in time. But the President still hasn’t taken the time to offer a long-term plan to fix the VA. President Obama needs to change his priorities.

It’s time for the White House to stop blocking bipartisan bills that the people want and get to work on real solutions and genuine reform. Don’t drive past the problems, Mr. President. Start helping us fix them.

In the first two days of the new Congress, President Obama has already issued three veto threats against bipartisan bills. Despite the bills having strong support on both sides of the aisle, President Obama has indicated that he will veto bills restoring the 40-hour workweek under Obamacare, approving the Keystone XL pipeline, and delaying a part of the flawed Dodd-Frank regulations.

Obama: Don’t buy that gas guzzler, fuel prices are gonna go up

President visits Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant today

“I would strongly advise American consumers to continue to think about how you save money at the pump because it is good for the environment, it’s good for family pocketbooks and if you go back to old habits and suddenly gas is back at $3.50, you are going to not be real happy,” the President told The Detroit News in a phone interview, ahead of his visit to Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant today.

“The American people should not believe that … demand for oil by China and India and all these emerging countries is going to stay flat,” Obama told The Detroit News. “Just demographics tell us demand is going to continue to grow, that over the long term it will grow faster than supply and we have to be smart about our energy policy,” he said.

Obama is using the stop at the Ford facility in Wayne, Michigan to tout his administration’s auto industry bailout. The facility, where Ford produces the Focus and C-Max, is currently idle due to slow sales.

Example of how Terrorists Arrive in the U.S.

Posted on January 7, 2015January 7, 2015 by Denise Simon

The Bush Administration worked diligently to stop terrorists from entering the homeland. At the time, there was an effort to determine all terror connections, travel, money flow and names. Below illustrate such a case. Today, we there is no confidence of CBP or DHS stopping terrorists given obvious and recent cases, conditions and the DACA executive order.

This previous method for entering the United States is happening again today. Now you will have some facts from not only through the Southern border but through every port and international airport in America.

This has been declassified:

SECRET 1120290910

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

JOINT TASK FORCE GUANTANAMO

GUANTANAMO BAY,C UBA

APO AE 09360

REPLY TO

ATTENTIONO F

JTF GTMO-CG l0 September 2004

MEMORANDUM FOR Commander, United States Southern Command 35 11 NW 91st Avenue, Miami, FL33172.

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under DoD Control (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U S9AF-00001l 3DP( S)

1. (FOUO) Personal Information:

* JDIM/NDRC Reference Name: Ahmed, Esmatalla Fedah

*Aliases and Current/True Name: Ahmed Feda

* Place of Birth: Kandahar. Afghanistan (AF)

* Date of Birth: 5 February 1977

* Citizenship: Afghanistan

2. (FOUO) Health: He is in good health.

3. (S) Detainee Summary:

a. (S) Background and Capture Data: Unless otherwise noted, the following background

notes are based solely on the detainee’s statements.

.*Recruitment and Travel: Beginning in 2001,detainee began making his way to the

US from Pakistan( PK) via South America and Mexico (MX). Detainee attempted to enter the US, so he could get a job and send money home to his family. Detainee had managed to pay $25,000 to the facilitator if he arrived safely in the US. After many months of travel, he was arrested by Mexican police in March of 2003. (Analyst Note: Detainee has not given a name to his facilitator as of this memo.)

*Capture Information: The detainee and Ahmad Jan were arrested by Mexican authorities while traveling without proper documentation .After being held for three months, Mexican authorities deported him to Kabul, AF, where he was turned over to the Afghan government. Detainee was in an Afghani prison for 10 months before being handed over to US authorities.

CLASSIFIED BY: Multiple Sources

REASON: E.O. 12958 Section 1.5(C)

DECLASSIFY ON: 20290910

SECRET I 120290910

JTF GTMO-CG

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under D oD Confrol (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U S9AF-00001l 3DP( S)

b. (S) Transfer to JTF GTMO: Detainee was subsequently transported to Guantanamo Bay

Naval Base, Cuba, on 9 May 2003.

c. (S) Reasons for Transfer to JTF GTMO: To provide specific information on terrorist networks, financing, facilitators, recruiters, and travel in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Mexico.

d. (S) Reasons for Continued Detention:

*Detainee probably staged out of Ecuador to Guatemala prior to arriving in Mexico

(MX). His probable facilitator for that portion of the trip has been linked to Hizballah and Al- Gama’at Al-Islamiyya.

*The US escort officer on the return trip to Afghanistan from Mexico was able to

determine that the detainee and Ahmed Jan had staged out of Ecuador( EC) sometime in

February2 002 and traveled by vessel to the Chetumal port-of-entry area from Quayaquil, E C.

Detainee also admitted to being on a boat for 8-9 hours.

*The vessel that transported the detainee and Ahmed Jan into Mexico is believed to be one of the special interest vessels( vessels that carry any US-bound alien who is a citizen or

national of, or originates travel from, a country that is of special interest to the national security of the US (lraq, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Indonesia, Yemen and Afghanistan).These citizens or nationals are the focus of a joint INS, USCG and Mexican Navy operation called Operation Southern Watch.

*According to a member of the US Embassy Mexico City, several vessels were apprehended by Operation Southern Watch during the time frame in which the detainee and Ahmed Jan were smuggled in to Mexico. Five vessels made it to Mexico without being apprehended-two of which were the Nina Marie II and the Esperanza.

*The smuggler responsible for providing the Middle Eastern immigrants on the vessels was a man named Maher Jarad ,aka Maher al-Palestinian, He has close ties with Fagr Almat, an individual known to help smuggling operations for members of Hizballah and A l- Gama’atA l-Islamiyya. Two of the vessels the Nina Marie II and the Esperanza are known to have departed Guayaquil, Ecuador between 22-23 February 2002.

*Detainee’s credibility is suspect. He has been consistently deceptive during interviews, and he has revised his story at least three times. His inability to provide accurate basic information about family, past employment, airlines, information on his false passport etc., suggest he has had counter-interrogation training.

*Detainee initially claimed that he was being pursued to join the Taliban in Kandahar, A F. He claimed to pay his uncle$ 25,000t o find someone who would smuggle him into the US. His uncle introduced him to Khalid who facilitated his travels to the US. The $25,000 came from his father, who is a car salesman in Kandahar, A F.

*Subsequently detainee stated that everything he has said during prior interrogations is a lie.

SECRET 1120290910

JTF GTMO-CG

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under DoD Control (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U S9AF-000011 3 DP( S)

*Detainee’s next version of his cover story claimed that his family moved to Karachi,

PK, where he and his family have been living for five to eight years. Detainee worked at

Habiladar Factory, making coats, and at the Zikayr Carving Company for one and a half years. (Analyst note: Contradictions from first story: Detainee now lived in Pakistan versus Afghanistan. Aunt and Uncle live in Pakistan versus Afghanistan. His father is a car salesman in Kandahar.)

*When detainee arrived at JTF-GTMO, he provided a third version of his timeline. In the third version, the detainee had two separate employers in Karachi, PK. One was a leather jacket company; the other was a machine shop. Detainee does not remember the name of either the leather company or the machine shop. (Analyst note: Contradictions- Detainee can no longer remember the names of the companies he worked for. Detainee does not mention his aunt or uncle in this version at all. His family will pay Khaled the money only after the detainee reaches the US. Father no longer sells cars, but he now is at an oil distribution company.

Money will come from father selling car and borrowing money from friends at the oil company.)

*Detainee provided erroneous information about the educational institutions he attended.

*Ahmed Jan, the other Afghani who was captured in Mexico with the detainee, also claimed he was looking for an “uncle” in the US, for whom he had no address. (Analyst

note; This would suggest that both Afghani’s were given the same covers tory to tell if they were captured)

*Detainee claims that due to his inability to read and write, he did not know where he was at any time during his travel to the US. His facilitator,” Khaled,” held his passport and tickets until detainee had to past through checkpoints.

*Detainee admits to being able to read and write in at least Pashtu.

*Detainee claims he never knew what airline he flew on en route to the US.

(Analyst note: Airline pilots normally announced departure and arrival locations just prior to take-of and departure. Destination locations are clearly displayed in airports and announcements for flights are always made. Detainee would have, a minimum, been aware of where the initial flight was destined since it was departing from his home area and language(s) being used would not be foreign to the detainee-)

*Detention personnel noted,” on 22 July 2003 at 0522 after the detainee was taken to reservation. A cell search was done and an extra toothbrush and toothpaste was found and also on the ceiling was written “Pakistan” in black. (Analyst note: Indicates he can write)

*Detention personnel commented that the detainee preaches religion to ISN

US9AF-000964DP from Quoran” (Analyst note: Indicates he can read.)

*Detainee also stated that he heard of Usama Bin Laden (UBL) through

newspapers and television in Pakistan. (Analyst note: Indicates he can read.)

*While staying at one safehouse for two months during the trip to the US, detainee was ordered to remain in the house at all times, sleeping during the day and watching television at night. Analyst note: All information above dispels detainee’s claim of inability to read and write in at least English and Pashtu. Detainee would be able to see departure and arrival information on the ticket and in the airport and information held within the passport.

There are

JTF GTMO-CG

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under DoD Control (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U S9AF-0001031D P( S)

also constant reminders on television of station and location, and to get news from a newspaper you have to be able to read. That being the case, it would be reasonable to believe that the detainee would have the capability to understand what country he was in, what airline he was boarding, and what his destination was.

*Detainee was administered two polygraph tests and one Computer Voice Stress

Analysis( CVSA) test since his incarceration at Bagram.

* The first polygraph was given at Bagram prior to 4 May 2003. Detainee refused to

cooperate and did not answer questions.

* The second polygraph was conducted at JTF-GTMO on 31 October 2003. The test resulted in a No Opinion.

* A CVSA was conducted at JTF-GTMO on 6 Jan 04. The purpose of the examination was to determine the veracity o his denial that he ever received combat training (Al-Qaida operatives have received t is training) and h is claim that he was not trying to enter the US to commit terrorist-related activities. It was determined that the detainee did not respond truthfully to the following questions.

. l Have you received combat training? Detainee answered no. Deception

Indicated(D I)

. 2. Were you trying to sneak into America, to hurt Americans? Detainee

answered n o. (DI)

(S) Intelligence Focus: JTF GTMO has determined that this detainee is of high

intelligence value due to his knowledge of:

*Illegal alien smuggling routes from the Middle East to the Americas

*Safehouse used by smugglers between the Middle East and the Americas

*Organization and personnel used in smuggling operations

*Counter-interrogation techniques

4. (S) Detainee’s Conduct: Detainee’s overall behavior has been generally compliant and nonaggressive.

He also has a few refusals and failure to follow the guards’ instructions in his record.

5. (S) EC Status: Detainee’s enemy combatant status was reassessed 0n 24 February 2004, and he remains an enemy combatant.

6. (S) JTF GTMO Assessment:

a. (S) Summary: Detainee is a suspected A l-Qaida terrorist captured in Mexico attempting to reach the US border. Detainee has not explained how his family, who are Afghan refugees in Pakistan could afford to pay the smuggler’s fee of $25,000 to get the detainee to the US. It is proven that the detainee has consistently provided false information during interrogations. The detainee’s continued efforts to provide false information to authorities throughout his detention is

SECRET

JTF GTMO.CG

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under DoD Control (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U SSAF-0001031D P( S)

not indicative of someone simply trying to enter the US. The detainee who knows four languages., one of which is English,-is of higher intelligence. To determine the motivation and extent of the detainee’s deception is key to determining whether or not the detainee is a highly trained terrorist. It has been determined that the detainee poses a medium risk, as he may possibly to pose a threat to the US, its interests and allies. e

b. (S) Recommendation: JTF GTMO recommends this detainee be retained under DoD control.

7. (S) Coordination: JTF GTMO notified the Criminal Investigative Task Force (C ITF) of this recommendation 0n 10 September2 004. CITF assessed this detainee on 23 April 2004 as a low risk. In the interest of national security and pursuant to an agreement between the CITF and JTF GTMO Commanders, CITF will defer to JTF GTMO’s assessment that at the detainee poses a medium risk.

716’JL

/ Jnv w. HooD

\-zbrigadier General, US ArmY

Commanding

CF: CITF-GTMO

SEcRET 1120290910

Who is Funding the Leftists in Latin America?

Posted on January 7, 2015January 7, 2015 by Denise Simon

It has been proven that the Soviet KGB funded terror and operations against the West.

Now we have China doing the same thing in the Western hemisphere.

China Boosts Support for Latin Leftists

China Pledged Billions of Dollars of Financing to Venezuela and Ecuador, Two South American Energy Exporters Battered by Falling Oil Prices

China pledged billions of dollars of financing to Venezuela and Ecuador, two South American energy exporters battered by falling oil prices, as Beijing moved to secure resources and allies in the region.

China has increased its diplomatic clout throughout Latin America by extending over $100 billion in credit to the region since 2005, according to figures from Boston University’s Global Economic Governance Initiative.

Beijing has become the biggest foreign financier of both Venezuela and Ecuador, two oil-rich, leftist allies eager to help counter U.S. sway in the region.

Following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping , his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro announced bilateral accords that would bring $20 billion in new investment to Venezuela. Ecuador said it secured $7.5 billion in financing.

Both Mr. Maduro and his Ecuadorian counterpart, Rafael Correa, were in Beijing along with officials from various Latin American nations to take part in a regional gathering.

Both Latin countries, highly dependent on oil exports to pay for heavy public spending, were in dire need of a helping hand as crude prices tumble to less than half of their level from several months ago. A barrel of oil sold for about $50 on Wednesday.

Last week, Venezuela’s central bank released long-delayed figures, revealing the country entered a recession in 2014.

Venezuela needs oil to average around $117.50 a barrel to balance its 2015 budget, according to Deutsche Bank estimates.

In Ecuador, officials have reported a slowing economy, with growth of 3.4% in the third quarter, down from 5.6% in the July-through-September period in 2013.

Mr. Maduro, who has seen his approval rating swoon along with oil prices, offered few details on the new accords with China, which he said involved projects in the energy, industrial and housing sectors.

The Venezuelan leader, who has struggled to keep supporters happy amid shortages of basic goods, praised China for coming to the rescue.

“The economic war against our people and the oil price war is an opportunity to grow closer to our allies,” said Mr. Maduro, who has blamed Venezuela’s spiraling economy on an alleged plot by enemies of his leftist government.

Venezuela is slated to hold hotly contested legislative elections in December that many analysts see as a referendum on Mr. Maduro’s performance.

At a daily press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said “Relevant financing cooperation is going smoothly” with Venezuela. State-run China Central Television paraphrased Chinese President Xi Jinping as calling for “promoting oil development” in a meeting with Mr. Maduro.

Experts said it was unclear without further details what kind of impact the new financing would have on the Venezuelan and Ecuadorian economies.

China has extended to Caracas some $50 billion in credit since 2007 in exchange for guaranteed oil. It has committed more than $12 billion in financing to Ecuador between 2009 and 2014.

Wednesday’s agreement underscored China’s continuing support for Mr. Maduro despite his political woes, said Risa Grais Targow, senior Latin America analysts for Eurasia Group.

“This is because the Chinese are heavily exposed to Venezuela and are likely concerned about the prospect of regime change,” she said in a client note.

China-Latin America Finance Database

Since 2005, China has provided upwards of $87 billion in loan commitments to Latin American countries. China’s loan commitments of $37 billion in 2010 were more than those of the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and U.S. Export-Import Bank combined. This interactive database provides up-to-date information on Chinese lending in Latin America by country, lender, sector and year.

This database stems from a collaborative project by Boston University’s Global Economic Governance Initiative and Tufts University’s Global Development and Environment Institute. The resulting Inter-American Dialogue publication, The New Banks in Town: Chinese Finance in Latin America, by Kevin Gallagher, Amos Irwin, and Katherine Koleski is the main source of featured data and conclusions. Loan data is updated on an annual basis.

Apprehended in U.S. from Terror States

Posted on January 7, 2015January 7, 2015 by Denise Simon

Consider as you read below, how many we did not catch. Consider how many actually got a pass. Consider how many received visas from the State Department to come here under a green card.

Just consider Iraq, a worn torn country currently in a war. How many have been allowed into the United States and why? This is chilling only from 2013.

WASHINGTON—Two Iraqi citizens living in Bowling Green, Kentucky who admitted using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against U.S. soldiers in Iraq and who attempted to send weapons and money to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) for the purpose of killing U.S. soldiers were sentenced today to serve federal prison terms by Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

The sentences was announced Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; David J. Hale, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky; and Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Division.

Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, 25, a former resident of Iraq, was sentenced to life in federal prison, and Waad Ramadan Alwan, 31, a former resident of Iraq, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Both defendants had pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges.

Iraqi Refugee Processing

Part of the humanitarian mission of the USRAP is to provide resettlement opportunities to especially vulnerable Iraqi refugees. Since large-scale Iraqi refugee processing was announced in February 2007, DHS and DOS have worked cooperatively to increase the number of Iraqi refugees admitted to the United States as part of the worldwide commitment. DHS and DOS have worked closely to expand processing capacity for Iraqi refugee applicants while ensuring the highest level of security. In support of these efforts, USCIS currently deploys approximately 55 officers per quarter to the Middle East to conduct refugee processing circuit rides. Since the inception of the program in 2007, 203,321 Iraqi nationals have been referred to the USRAP for resettlement to the United States. USCIS has interviewed 142,670 Iraqi refugee applicants; approved 119,202 for resettlement and, 84,902 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the United States.

Does Customs and Border Patrol coordinate with ICE, then DHS then the FBI? Well take a look at the FBI homepage on terrorism.

(CNSNews.com) – The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection reports that in fiscal year 2014 (Oct. 1 through Sept. 30) agents apprehended 1,191 individuals from 12 of the 14 countries that DHS and the State Department have considered as countries that have problems with terrorism.

In December, CBP released its apprehension statistics for 2014, which show that of the 486,651 apprehensions, 257,473 were from countries “other than Mexico.” Of those apprehended from countries “other than Mexico,” CBP provided CNSNews.com the countries of origin of those taken into custody.

Of those from countries “other than Mexico,” 1,191 were from 12 countries – Iran, Sudan, Cuba and Syria (state sponsors of terror), and Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen (“countries of interest”) – designated by the federal government to have terrorist links.

The breakdown of the apprehension of individuals from 12 countries designated as “countries of interest” is as follows, according to CBP: Afghanistan (4); Algeria (3); Cuba (1,061); Iran (4); Iraq (7); Lebanon (10); Nigeria (29); Pakistan (31); Saudi Arabia (16); Somalia (6); Syria (14); and Yemen (6).

As CNSNews.com reported in 2010, following the failed attempt to bring down Northwest Flight 253 on Dec. 25, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) announced enhanced airport screening for people traveling through or from 14 “countries of interest.” TSA did not specify which nations it considered “countries of interest.”

“TSA is mandating that every individual flying into the U.S. from anywhere in the world who holds a passport issued by or is traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening,” the TSA said.

“TSA directed the increased use of enhanced screening technologies and mandates threat-based and random screening for majority passengers on U.S. bound international flights,” it added.

But a Jan. 4, 2010 New York Times report, citing Obama administration officials, identified them as Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. The other four – Iran, Sudan, Syria and Cuba – were identified as state sponsors of terrorism by the State Department.

A Jan. 4, 2010 report in USA Today, citing the TSA as the source, described the full list of nations whose citizens would be targeted for enhanced security checks as “14 countries with terrorism problems.”