U.S. sees no signs of Qaeda at U.S.-Mexican border
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Authorities have seen no signs of alQaeda trying to insert operatives into the United States fromMexico, but the militant group has considered doing so, a U.S.intelligence official said on Friday.
The comments by Charles Allen, Homeland Securityundersecretary for intelligence and analysis, could undercutone argument by advocates in and out of government forget-tough tactics to fight illegal crossings at the southernU.S. border -- that they are needed to fight terrorism.
In contrast, at least one Islamist militant has been caughttrying to enter the United States from Canada by land toattempt an attack.
"We know of no trained al Qaeda operatives who have crossedover our southern border," Allen told reporters.
"We do know that going back to 2004, the southern border issomething that al Qaeda's central leadership has looked at. Butwe know of no specifics of where al Qaeda has reallyendeavoured to cross our borders in the south," he said.
The U.S. government is seeking to complete this year aplanned 670-mile (1,080 km) border fence to fight illegalcrossings from Mexico.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has cited theanti-terrorism argument in waiving environmental laws and otherlegal restrictions to quickly build the fence.
"The flow of illegal traffic through the border regionimperils our ability to fight terrorism by stopping the illegalentry of terrorists," the Homeland Security department saidearlier this month in justifying the latest waivers, for 500miles (805 km) of potential fencing.
Allen said there have been militant "sympathizers andfund-raisers for Hizbollah" trying to cross from the south, butno trained operatives have been discovered.
SUFFICIENT THREATS
A Homeland Security Department official said thosecrossings, and the potential for operatives to cross, aresufficient threats to help justify the fence construction'surgency.
On the other hand, Vancouver-based militant Ahmeed Ressam,with suspected links to al Qaeda, was stopped with explosivesin his car at the U.S. border with Canada in December 1999,foiling a suspected plot to bomb Los Angeles.
The United States was working closely with Canadianauthorities, Allen said, and he credited them with breaking upin 2006 a plot by militants to carry out an "al Qaeda-inspired"bombing campaign in the Toronto area.
Allen also said al Qaeda is trying to recruit both whiteand nonwhite people so it can train "western-looking"operatives to help it carry out attacks in Europe and theUnited States.
No such suspects have yet been caught trying to enter theUnited States, but the effort remains a concern. "This issomething to which we must pay a lot of attention," Allen said.
He said al Qaeda shifted its strategy to seekWestern-appearing recruits after the December 2005 death of alQaeda external operations chief Abu Hamza Rabia. Rabiarecruited operatives who had little experience with the West,he said.
(Editing by Sandra Maler and Bill Trott)