From the Bowling Green Daily news in the aftermath of Iraqi alleged terrorist arrests in Kentucky:
The office of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced Thursday that Paul has secured a hearing through the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee to address concerns about visas and political asylum following the arrest of two Iraqi refugees on terrorism charges last month in Bowling Green.
The hearing, scheduled for July 13, will include state and Department of Homeland Security officials.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. agreed to assist in scheduling the hearings, which will investigate procedures and safeguards for both visas and political asylum.
[RRW attended similar hearings before these same two Senators in March 2009 on possible Somali terrorists in the US and the hearings were frankly so Politically Correct to be meaningless.]
We gave them employment, homes and health care….
Waad Ramadan Alwan, 30, and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, 23, were arrested May 25 in Bowling Green. A federal grand jury returned a 23-count indictment against the men May 26.
Both entered the country legally as Iraqi refugees, receiving publicly funded housing assistance and health care.
Paul: Was someone asleep at the switch?
“So my question is, ‘Was someone asleep at the switch here?’ ” Paul said earlier this month about the men successfully gaining refugee status.
“Is it happening because we’re spending time searching millions of innocent Americans and wasting time on that and not doing a thorough job on those who are coming from these Middle Eastern countries, who I think need to be thoroughly vetted before they enter our country?” Paul asked.
At the news conference earlier this month, Paul also called into question the student visa program [it’s about time someone did!—ed] and questioned if lawmakers should declare a moratorium on student visas to make sure that the people obtaining them are thoroughly vetted before entering the country.
“Without a screening process for potential visa and refugees entering the United States, we put our country in grave danger,” Paul said in a statement Thursday. “The role of the federal government in the war on terror must include the ability to secure our borders and keep out those who wish to do us harm. I look forward to participating in these upcoming hearings.”