7-6-11 (JTA) -- Israel was included erroneously on a U.S. Department of Homeland Security terrorist watch list, a U.S. official said.
Gillian Christiansen, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the department, said Israel's recent appearance on a list compiled by the department's office of the inspector general was a mistake.
"The addition of Israel in the OIG’s list of ICE's 'Third-Agency Checks' (TAC) was based on inaccurate information provided to the OIG during the course of its audit," Christiansen said in a statement sent by e-mail to JTA. "The U.S. does not and never has considered Israel to have links to terrorism, but rather they are a partner in our efforts to combat global terrorism. The United States maintains close intelligence-sharing relationships with Israel in order to address security issues within its own borders and in our mutual pursuit of safety and security around the globe."
The list does not fault government policies and instead recognizes the likelihood that a suspect traveler from that country might have terrorist ties.
The list, attached to a May 10 document from the DHS Inspector General's office, was reported last week by CNS News, a conservative news service.
The list of 36 nations includes a number of other close U.S. allies such as Turkey, Bahrain, Morocco and Philippines, as well as nations beset by internal fighting like Sudan and Somalia.
http://anonym.to?http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/breaking_news/israe...
(JTA) -- Israel is on a list compiled by U.S. immigration authorities of countries that might harbor terrorists.
The Department of Homeland Security list of 36 nations does not fault government policies and instead recognizes the likelihood that a suspect traveler from that country might have terrorist ties.
If a traveler from one of the countries is detained, the country's inclusion on the list triggers a special check by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division.
The list, attached to a May 10 document from the DHS Inspector General's office, was first reported this week by CNS News, a Christian news service.
"The U.S. does not and never has considered Israel to have links to terrorism, but rather they are a partner in our efforts to combat global terrorism,” Christensen said. “Countries may have been included on the list because of the backgrounds of arrestees, not because of the country’s government itself. The United States maintains close intelligence-sharing relationships with many of these countries in order to address security issues within their own borders and in our mutual pursuit of safety and security around the globe."
The list includes a number of other close U.S. allies, like Turkey, Bahrain, Morocco and Philippines, as well as nations beset by internal fighting, like Sudan and Somalia.
http://anonym.to?http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/breaking_news/israe...
Submitted by andie531 on Thu, 2011-07-14 18:33
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