What do you think of the 1,000? Iranians and Mid-Eastern men arrested in LA today?

Former Member

You can look up the story on Yahoo USA. But basically, the Immigration and Naturalzation service in the US arrested around 1,000 people who they say violated their student visas etc. from the LA area. The LA area has 600,000 or so Iranian Americans.

Is this smart knowing how the terrororists of 9/11 were in the US before they acted. Or is this illegal or at least unAmerican? (Our laws in the US are based on English law. So you can voice an opinion without knowing American law. I don't even know it yet. That's college stuff.)

Former Member

Violating visas is a pretty clear cut case of wrong doing on the part of the students if that is in fact the truth of the matter. Sadly I believe less and less that what is going in with regard to such reports is truly a case of law breaking and more a case of the initial stages of a fascist police state flexing its muscle on those least able to defend themselves.

Earlier I posted a link to a story that was recently reported by the BBC about an Algerian man whom the US administration insisted had been part of the planning of 9/11 and who's life (and that of his wife and his brother) has been ruined by the allegations even though it eventually emerged that no sufficient proof existed and he was released from custody in the UK. This is just one example of what I have every reason to believe is not a matter of isolated incidents but of sweeping finger pointing and blacklisting now given free sanction under both the USA Patriot Act and the Dept. of Homeland Defence. As regards the Algerian man, Lofti Raissi, even after he was released by British authorities, the US admin has continued to demand his extradition but now on ridiculous lesser charges that only show how hungry for total control this administration is.

Basically our government has betrayed the Constitution upon which our society, which Bush loves to claim is the bastion of freedom and democracy, is based. What we are becoming in a tangibly visible sense is a Soviet styled controlled society where foreigners had best stay away since they will be screened and profiled to the full extent of a discriminate administration.

Sadly though, it only begins with foreigners and unless our society wakes and recognizes soon the abuse of power, it could easily be any one of us that gets singled out and accused without proof and without any means to defend ourselves.

And Bush claims that we are winning the WoT??? By his own actions we lost it already and not to some shadowy enemy but to those entrusted to represent and serve our nation. They are they only winners to date and they are no doubt enjoying every minute of it.

Former Member

I'm glad you saw this post. I thought of something you said when I read it.

Exactly, I just hope they are right about who they are picking up. Towards 1,000 people is an awful lot of people.

Former Member

Just wait till January when 3 more of the hadnful of nationalities have to register.

You might try looking at how closely this current government witchhunt resembles what we did to Japanese Americans during WWII.

I only wonder how many decent people will be interred or deported and otherwise have their once peaceful lives destroyed before the nation wakes up and throws this fascist regime out of office.

Former Member

Better still that you allow potential enemies to walk freely in the streets?

[/devils advocate]

Former Member

After reading about the arrests in Scotland, England and France because of some pending coordinated Al Qaeda attack over the holidays, it's hard to balance the things that make me like living in a democray...with protecting.

I mean, one of the places that was going to be hit, someone on the site posted they were going for new years. Hog something up in scotland.

Former Member

Does the constitution apply to illegal immigrants?

Im a bit confused about this as im not too up on US immigration laws..

Now, personally I dont see the arrest of those in breach of their visas as an issue. Thats just the INS doing their job.

What I do find a little uncomfortable is the registration of those who are legally in the country, those with valid visas....Surely they are registered when they origianlly enter the country anyway? I cant actually see a point to register them again, unless more info is being gathered on them or they just want to check up on these people.

I dont think its fair to compare to the Japanese internment camps, that was far worse. They were US citizens who had done absolutely nothing wrong, those arrested in this situation are criminals.

Former Member

good point. No, these were people who were in violation of say travel or student visas. (Which should tell you how many illegal aliens we have in this country.) They also arrested some arab american citizens but they were laudering millions of dollars and sending it to terrorist groups in the Middle East.

Former Member

MoK, so tell me, do you think we should just make blanket rules on all members of a particular ethnic group in an effort to root out the "enemies amongst us"?? How long before that slippery slope leads to the Hitler era germany situation that you love to draw parallels with???

After all, then it was Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, even catholics that had to be registered. After they were registered and known, it was only a small step to rounding them up and dealing with them all the claimed interest of " protecting society".

Sorry pal, play the devil's advocate all you want, I don't buy into the value of this at all.

If its such a step toward protection and security then why only a select group of nationalities who are being checked for visa status? Why not illegal Israelis, or British, or any host of nationalities.

After all, didnt you argue some time back that not all terrorists or potential terrorists are of Arabic persuasion?

Former Member

See, when we come to these situations, such as the "al Qaeda" apprehensions in Europe, I feel a little uncertain at heart. The problem is, we as the public will never know what is right or wrong. The media may say one thing, the internet pundits another, but in the end, who is really right? We can't know and I might be the only one, but that bugs me about the world in general.

Also, on the subject of the deportations, I just want to know how tough the US has been at cracking down on ALL illegal immigrants. I wonder, if they really tried, how many illegal Mexican immigrants they could find and oust if an illusive band of extremist Mexican nationals were trying to, say, take Texas back from the U.S. through some kind of zany terrorist scheme.

Former Member

The fact is that INS and the Border Patrol are overworked. Sweeps to pick up illegals are run commonly in all areas that are known to have a large population of illegal aliens (NYC, Miami, Texas, L.A. and S. California, etc.). If the sweep had occured in NYC, you could expect the arrests to have included a large number of Asians, Eastern Europeans, and British. Aliens (illegal or legal) are entitled to some protections under the US Constitution. But they are also responsible to abide by the rules, regulations and laws of the land.

Former Member

Indeed, but of course you say nothing about how discrimately this Bush policy is being implemented nonetheless. About as much as id expect from someone who is incapable of admitting how selectively this administration is choosing to "uphald the law".

Still no indictments from the Enron scandal, no anthrax mailer arrest, no blanket mandate for foreign visitor/resident registrations from all countries. Its all part of the same tendency this administration has been showing all along. Racism, xenophobia, and the beginnings of a control state.

And Greeny and his crew fighting to to protect these politicians' corrupt foreign interests. How appropriate! :rolleyes:

Former Member

this is just so 1930's germany. soon it will be socialists, union leaders, writers, gays, and just about any and everyone else in the world who disagree openly with this fascist regieme.
because of bush and his cronies the world is becoming very very dangerous.

Former Member

Indeed! But hopefully my countrymen will wake up and vote him out office before he can really get his war machine cranked up and causing untold problems in even more countries of the world.

Hopefully the next President will start with a full scale investigation into the coverups and treachery of this administration and show the American the turth that Bush and Co. are working so deligiently to hide with their boogeyman rhetoric and the collusion of the media.

Maybe then itll be them facing life imprisonment or worse for treason.

Former Member

Hopefully the next president is a Democrat... the Republicans and far left daily seem more and more racist and bigoted. I'm just glad they've been screwing themselves over lately. This is a delicate time for America, while the last of those who truly remember (and some wish to go back to) a racist nation. Sadly, I think a new racism is just beginning. The way this country is going right now is just... depressing.

Former Member

Glad to see someone from back home who realizes this. We can only hope that two years from now is not too late to dismantle the Big Brother police state that Bush and Ashcroft have created. I fear though that the DHD will be far harder to get rid of than Senator McCarthy was.

Its gonna be serious work to reinstate the supremacy of the Constitution over the paranoid control aparatus that Bush has sent to do as it pleases in society. Sad times indeed!