From: Michael Cutler <mcutler007@aol.com>Date: January 29, 2011 9:31:00 AM PSTTo: Michael Cutler <Mcutler007@aol.com>Subject: Mail Online: “Controversial Muslim cleric caught being smuggled into U.S. over Mexico border”Hi
Gang:This morning I was contacted by a staffer for Greg Ball, a member of the New York State. Sen. Greg Ball was elected to the New York State Senate this past November and was appointed to chair the New York State’s Homeland Security Committee. I have worked with him for the past several years on issues concerning immigration when he was a member of the New York State Assembly and consequently he decided to have his staffer contact me this morning about the news report that was published yesterday, January 28th, in a British newspaper, the Mail Online, about how a Tunisian national by the name of Sai Jaziri was found being smuggled in the trunk of a car crossing the border that is supposed to separate the United States from Mexico. Greg wanted me to provide him with my perspectives on this case for a press release to be issued by his office later today.
Needless to say, I was happy to provide my perspectives to him and I have decided to provide you with that British newspaper’s article and my perspectives on this important news report.Here are my thoughts:Not
long ago Janet Napolitano stated that running our nation’s borders is
not a crime! This statement would have been frustrating if
anyone would make such an absurd statement, but when the Secretary of
Homeland Security cold make such an outlandish statement you could
almost want to replace America’s motto of “E Pluribus Unum”
which translates to “From many one” to “Abandon all
hope- all ye who enter here!”Napolitano
and a laundry list of political and governmental administration have
attempted to trivialize the risks that our nation’s open borders pose
to the safety of our nation.To
provide a bit of clarity, any alien who has been previously deported
from our country commits a felony when he (she) runs our borders in
an effort to reenter the United States without authority. The
real issue is not if it is a crime when an alien evades the
inspections process but to consider why there is an inspections
process in the first place. The immigration laws of our nation
specify various reasons why an alien should be excluded from entering
our country. Among the reasons are aliens who have dangerous
communicable diseases, suffer from serious mental illness and pose a
threat of violence, aliens who are convicted felons, are war
criminals, have committed human rights violations, are human
traffickers or drug smugglers, are involved in espionage or
terrorism. There are a number of other categories of aliens
whose presence is supposed to be prevented by our officials of DHS,
an agency I have come to refer to as the Department of Homeland
Surrender. This is why border security is so critical to the
safety and security of our nation and our citizens.In
considering the case of Said Jaziri, the Tunisian national who was
found being smuggled into the United States along the US/Mexican
border, you realize that he has already run up quite a history in
Canada and France, having been deported from both of those countries
that have reputations for being extremely liberal where immigration
is concerned. The news report that appeared in the Friday
edition of the Daily Mail, a British newspaper, also noted that
Jaziri had been prosecuted in France for his having lied on his
application for political asylum in France, a tactic often utilized
by terrorists who have operated in our country- terrorists such as
Mir Amal Kansi, a citizen of Pakistan who lied on his application for
political asylum in the United States but was nevertheless granted
political asylum, whereupon he showed his appreciation to our
government when, on January 25, 1993 he stood outside CIA
Headquarters in Maclean, Virginia with an AK-47 and opened fire upon
vehicles being driven by CIA officers who were reporting for work
that winter morning. Before his rampage was over, two CIA
officers were dead and three others were wounded.Kansi is not the first terrorist to commit fraud in his applications for an immigration benefit or for a visa. In fact, the 9/11 Commission noted that of 94 terrorists who were identified as operating in our country in the decade prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001 roughly two thirds of them (59) were found to have made use of visa fraud and/or immigration benefit fraud in order to enter our country and embed themselves in communities across our nation.Here is a recent example of such a fraud that was successfully carried out by an illegal alien in our country.On March 30, 2010 the United States issued a press release, entitled, “Eritrean Man Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling” that can be found a this link:I have provided you with the entire text of that press release beneath the Daily Mail report, but for the sake of convenience, here are the three short paragraphs I have taken directly from the press release that “cut to the chase:”WASHINGTON
– Samuel Abrahaley Fessahazion, 23, an Eritrean national, has pleaded
guilty to helping smuggle illegal aliens to the United States for
private financial gain, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A.
Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno of
the Southern District of Texas and U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton.Fessahazion,
aka “Sami,” aka “Sammy,” aka “Alex” and aka “Alex
Williams” pleaded guilty yesterday in Houston before U.S. District
Court Judge Nancy A. Atlas to one count of conspiracy, and two counts
of encouraging and inducing aliens to come to, enter or reside in the
United States in violation of law for the purpose of private
financial gain.
According
to plea documents, from at least June 2007 until approximately
January 2008, Fessahazion was the Guatemalan link of an alien
smuggling network that spans East Africa, Central and South America.
Specifically, according to the court documents, Fessahazion
illegally entered the United States at McAllen, Texas, on March 20,
2008. He applied for asylum on Sept. 30, 2008, claiming in his
application that he was traveling across Africa in 2007 and 2008,
fleeing persecution in Eritrea. However, according to court
documents, Fessahazion was actually in Guatemala during that period
facilitating the smuggling of East African aliens to the United
States. Fessahazion was granted asylum by the United States on
Nov. 13, 2008.
Stop and give some thought to the statement that he purportedly ran our border on March 20, 2008 and then applied for political asylum on September 30, 2008, over six months after he allegedly ran the border, and in under six weeks his application for political asylum was approved! He claimed he was facing prosecution on the other side of the planet yet the government rushed to provide him with political asylum! This “rush to judgement” rewarded him with political asylum even though he completely falsified all of the significant relevant facts!Here are two other important facts for you to consider-1. There was no mention of Fessahazion being charged with committing fraud in has application for political asylum.2. There was no mention of any efforts being made to locate and/or apprehend the illegal aliens he helped to smuggle into the United States.Furthermore,
In pushing for various forms of amnesty for illegal aliens our nation’s “leaders” have all but declared that running our borders
should be a prerequisite for naturalization. This is a betrayal
to our citizens and our nation, not only because it makes a mockery
of the many millions of lawful immigrants who, since the founding of
our nation entered our country in accordance with law to help build
this great nation, but because such a huge amnesty program would be
riddled with fraud that would enable aliens whose intentions are
malevolent to game the system.There have been a succession of reports that followed investigations by the Office of the Inspector General and the General Accountability Office into the lack of integrity in the immigration benefits program and the visa process.Clearly Mr. Jaziri did nothing unique in attempting to game France’s immigration system. However, France actually did something about it- according to the news report, the French government successfully prosecuted him for committing fraud in their country and then expelled him whereupon he apparently showed up in Canada, only to evoke the ire of the Canadian government which resulted in his being expelled from Canada.The route he allegedly took in his effort to enter the United States was long and circuitous. His efforts were arduous but, for reasons only he fully and truly knows, he felt it was making the difficult and illegal trek to the United States. The efforts he has expended should make it clear that he may well have been a “man on a mission.”The only question is, what was that mission?While he was caught near the border, it is to be presumed that he ultimately intended to head for a city somewhere well beyond the border of our country- potentially putting all of our citizens at risk.Furthermore, in
the wake of the horrific shootings in Arizona a couple of weeks ago-
our leaders have renewed their focus and concerns about “hate
speech.” A concern all decent people should share. The
news report about Jaziri noted some of his outrageous examples of
hate speech making it clear that his presence in our country would
represent a serious threat to the well being of our nation and our
citizens.As
I have often noted, a country without secure borders can no more
stand than can a house without walls!Ifour country is to survive and if our children and their children are to get their share of the “American Dream” the citizens of this nation must take their citizenship seriously!We the People must be the best citizens we can be, citizens who are worthy of the gallantry demonstrated by our valiant men and women in the military, law enforcement and firefighters, who routinely go in harm’s way in defense of this nation and our citizens.My goal in writing this and other commentaries is to point out our nations many failings before more victims pay the ultimate price for the incompetence and ineptitude of our government.The first step in problem-solving is to first identify the problems and vulnerabilities and then devise strategies to overcome them.If you find yourself to be in agreement with this commentary, I ask that you forward it to as many of your friends and family members as possible and encourage them to do the same. We need to create a “Bucket Brigade of Truth!”The practice of good citizenship does not end in the voting booth, it only begins there.The large scale apathy demonstrated by citizens of this nation has emboldened elected representatives to all but ignore the needs of the average American citizen in a quest for massive campaign funds and the promises of votes to be ostensibly delivered by special interest groups. There is much that we cannot do but there is one thing that We the People absolutely must do- we must stop sitting on the sidelines!
The collective failure of We the People to get involved in make our concerns known to our politicians have nearly made the concerns of the great majority of the citizens of this nation all but irrelevant to the politicians. I implore you to resolve this year to get involved!If this situation concerns you or especially if it angers you, I ask you to call your Senators and Congressional “Representative. This is not only your right- it is your obligation!
All I ask is that you make it clear to our politicians that we are not as dumb as they hope we are!
We live in a perilous world and in a perilous era. The survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens hang in the balance.
This is neither a Conservative issue, nor is it a Liberal issue- simply stated, this is most certainly an AMERICAN issue!
You are either part of the solution or you are a part of the problem!
Democracy is not a spectator sport!
Lead, follow or get out of the way!
-michael cutler-Please check out my website:
Controversial Muslim cleric caught being smuggled into U.S. over Mexico border
Last updated at 1:04 PM on 28th January 2011
U.S. border guards got a surprise when they searched a Mexican
BMW and found a hardline Muslim cleric – banned from France and Canada –
curled up in the boot.Said Jaziri, who called for the death of a
Danish cartoonist that drew pictures of the prophet Mohammed, was being
smuggled into California when he was arrested, along with his driver
Kenneth Robert Lawler.The 43-year-old was deported from Canada to
his homeland Tunisia in 2007 after it emerged he had lied on his
refugee application about having served jail time in France.
Asylum: Jaziri had allegedly paid a
Tijuana-based smuggling group $5,000 to get him across the border near
Tecate, saying he wanted to be taken to a ‘safe place anywhere in the
U.S.’His fire and brimstone sermons and rabble-rousing antics catapulted
him into the public eye during his short tenure as imam at a Montreal
mosque.He branded homosexuality a disease and led protests over
cartoonist Kurt Westergaard’s illustrations poked fun at Islam and were
published in a Danish newspaper in 2006.He also caused anger when he campaigned for a bigger mosque to accommodate Montreal’s burgeoning Muslim population.
Caught: Jaziri was arrested being smuggled across the San Diego border crossing, along with his driver Kenneth Robert Lawler
But after his deportation he complained that he had been physically and
mentally tortured during the 13-hour flight repatriating him to Tunisia,
a claim Canadian authorities deny.He was being held as a material witness in the criminal case against Mr Lawler, who has been charged with
immigrant smuggling.
Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard sparked controversy when his drawings of Mohammed appeared in a newspaper in 2006
Jaziri had allegedly paid a Tijuana-based smuggling cartel $5,000 to
take him across the border near Tecate, saying he wanted to be taken to a
‘safe place anywhere in the U.S.’According to the court documents, a Mexican guide led Jaziri and a Mexican immigrant over the border fence near Tecate.
They then trekked across the rugged terrain under cover of darkness
to a spot popular for drivers who pick up immigrants for smuggling runs
into San Diego.He allegedly told officials he had flown from
Africa to Europe, then to Central America and Chetumal, Mexico, on the
Mexico-Belize border, where he took a bus to Tijuana.Lise Garon, a professor of communications at Laval University in
Quebec City, told the Los Angeles Times: ‘His nickname in Quebec was the
controversial imam.‘I think he was deported because people hated his ideas.’
His
case drew support from the Muslim community as well as Amnesty
International after he claimed he would be tortured if sent back to
Tunisia.Department of JusticeOffice of Public AffairsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETuesday, March 30, 2010
Eritrean Man Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling
WASHINGTON – Samuel Abrahaley Fessahazion, 23, an Eritrean national, has pleaded guilty to helping
smuggle illegal aliens to the United States for private financial gain, announced
Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division,
U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno of the Southern District of Texas and
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John
Morton.
Fessahazion, aka “Sami,” aka “Sammy,” aka “Alex” and aka “Alex Williams”
pleaded guilty yesterday in Houston before U.S. District Court Judge
Nancy A. Atlas to one count of conspiracy, and two counts of encouraging
and inducing aliens to come to, enter or reside in the United States in
violation of law for the purpose of private financial gain.
“By bringing this smuggler to justice, we have broken a chain that runs
from Africa to South and Central America, directly into the United
States,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer.“We will not allow these dangerous smuggling organizations to profit from bringing people illegally into the United States.”
“This prosecution strikes a significant blow to a criminal organization
engaged in a sophisticated international alien smuggling operation,”
said U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno of the Southern District of Texas,
“and highlights the continuing cooperation and success of multiple law
enforcement agencies in interdicting such activities.”
“Breaking this global alien smuggling network puts smugglers on notice
that we are coming after them and we will shut them down,” said ICE
Assistant Secretary John Morton.“ICE will continue to identify the most dangerous international
human smuggling organizations for investigation and prosecution.”
According to plea documents, from at least June 2007 until approximately
January 2008, Fessahazion was the Guatemalan link of an alien smuggling
network that spans East Africa, Central and South America.Specifically, according to the court documents,
Fessahazion illegally entered the United States at McAllen, Texas, on March 20, 2008.He applied for asylum on Sept. 30, 2008, claiming in his
application that he was traveling across Africa in 2007 and 2008,
fleeing persecution in Eritrea.However, according to court documents, Fessahazion was actually
in Guatemala during that period facilitating the smuggling of East
African aliens to the United States.Fessahazion was granted asylum by the United States on Nov. 13, 2008.
Fessahazion admitted that for profit, he encouraged or induced at least
six and up to 24 illegal aliens, primarily East Africans, to come to,
enter, or reside in the United States knowing that they were not
authorized to do so.Fessahazion admitted he moved aliens from Honduras through
Guatemala and into Mexico illegally, at which point he referred aliens
to a smuggler who brought the aliens into the United States.
In one instance, according to court documents, Fessahazion and his
co-conspirators moved two illegal aliens from South Africa to Sao Paulo,
Brazil, then through Venezuela to Honduras where they were instructed
to contact Fessahazion.Once in contact, Fessahazion sent a driver to pick up the two aliens and bring them to Guatemala City, Guatemala.
I
n exchange for $800, Fessahazion took the two aliens by bus to a house
bordering Guatemala and Mexico. There, working with a co-conspirator,
Fessahazion provided information to the couple on how to cross the
border into Mexico illegally and how to proceed once in Mexico to the
United States border. Fessahazion and the co-conspirator provided the
couple with a guide who physically took them into Mexico and provided
contact information for an unidentified smuggler known only by the alias
“Matamoros,” who would in turn take the two aliens to the United States
from Reynosa, Mexico.In February 2008, the couple was illegally brought to the United States by guides working for “Matamoros.”
According to court documents, the guides carried guns and
ferried the couple across the river on the Mexico/U.S. border in inner
tubes.
In another example, an alien was moved from Dubai to Brazil, then to Honduras via Colombia and Costa Rica.According to court documents, a co-conspirator told the alien he could get him from Dubai to Brazil,
at which point others would assist the alien each step of the way to the United States in a “chain like” fashion.
According to court documents, once the alien arrived in Honduras,
Fessahazion sent a driver to retrieve him and bring him to Guatemala
City.In exchange for $700, Fessahazion took the alien to the
Guatemala/Mexico border and, along with a co-conspirator, gave the alien
information on how to cross the border into Mexico illegally and how to
proceed once in Mexico to the United States border, including contact
information for “Matamoros.”
The alien then traveled into Mexico, contacted “Matamoros” and traveled to Reynosa as “Matamoros” instructed.In December 2007, according to court documents, guides working
for “Matamoros” took the alien and others to the United States illegally
by ferrying them across the river on the Mexican/U.S. border in inner
tubes.Shortly after crossing the border into the United States, the alien and others were apprehended.
At sentencing, scheduled for June 14, 2010, Fessahazion faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Pragna Soni of the Criminal
Division’s Domestic Security Section, with the assistance of Assistant
U.S. Attorneys Edward Gallagher and Douglas Davis of the Southern
District of Texas.
The investigation was conducted by the ICE Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Washington,with the assistance of SAC San Francisco, the ICE Human
Smuggling and Trafficking Unit, ICE Office of Intelligence, ICE Office
of International Affairs and U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s Office
of Alien Smuggling Interdiction.10-343Criminal Division
"Controversial Muslim cleric caught being smuggled into U.S. over Mexico border"
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