Arabs and Muslims reacted angrily Wednesday to the a Justice Department plan to fingerprint and photograph visitors to America, saying they are being unfairly targeted because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The plan, proposed Wednesday, would expand the reach of an existing law to better track tourists, business travelers, students and temporary workers considered possible security threats.
Officials familiar with the proposal told AP it was mainly aimed at visitors from Middle Eastern and Islamic states, although at a news conference, Attorney General John Ashcroft did not specify any particular state.
He said a list would be developed and the only states certain to be on the list are those already on the State Department's list of terrorist nations, including North Korea, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Cuba. "No country is totally exempt," he stated.
The United States has already instituted some visa changes since the Sept. 11 attacks. In November, the State Department said the United States would slow down the process of issuing visas to young men from Arab and Muslim nations so it can search their backgrounds for any evidence of terrorist involvement.
Hesham Youssef, spokesman for the Arab League chief, commented on the new U.S. plan by saying that "if Arabs are treated in one way and the rest of the world is treated in another way ... because they are Arab, then it's not acceptable." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
