TheBlaze Exclusive: Congressional sources confirm Saudi national was to be deported for security related grounds
his story is being updated
Monday on radio, Glenn Beck revealed further details about the Saudi national who was the first suspect in the Boston marathon bombing. Despite denials from Janet Napolitano and officials from the U.S. Immigrations and Customs (ICE) that a Saudi national was taken into custody in connection to the Boston marathon bombing, several sources have confirmed that Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi was set to be deported for proven terrorist activity.
According to two FBI sources, Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi was taken “into custody” Monday April 15th at a Boston after he was injured in the blast.
A source within the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) told TheBlaze that on Monday night Al-Harbi’s Revere, Massachusetts apartment was searched and property was taken out.
At 4:00pm ET on Tuesday April 16th, The NCTC Field Watch Commander created an “event file” calling for Al-Harbi’s deportation using Section 212 3b, which is proven terrorist activity. According to TheBlaze’s sources, tagging someone as 3b requires solid evidence.
Fox News reporter Todd Starnes has also reported, “The Saudi national who was initially detained and then ruled out as a suspect in the Boston Marathon terrorist attack had been flagged on a terror watch list and was granted a student visa without being properly vetted, sources have told me.”
Starnes report no longer appears on the Fox News website, but can be found on Townhall.
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) has told TheBlaze that he has detailed information on the Saudi national and confirmed that Al-Harbi was to be deported under Section 212 3b of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Alongside three other Congressmen, Rep. Duncan has requested a classified briefing on the Saudi national and the deportation order.
Even though sources within Congress have confirmed that the Saudi national was set to be deported under Section 212 3B, several figures in the United States government have denied or refused to answer questions on Al-Harbi. First, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano refused to answer questions on the subject when confronted by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) on Capitol Hill. Then on Thursday, a senior law enforcement official with ICE told TheBlaze that reports claiming the department was deporting Al-Harbi under section 212 3B and had opened an “event” on the Saudi Arabian national following the Boston attacks is “categorically false.”
The senior law enforcement official also told TheBlaze that Al-Harbi was never in custody nor ever considered for deportation by ICE, but that the department does have a different Saudi national in custody being held on grounds unrelated to the Boston bombings.
Glenn told the radio audience that there were several meetings last week between members of the Obama administration and key Saudi officials.
On Tuesday Secretary of State John Kerry met with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud which was closed to the media. Then, on Wednesday, President Obama had a “chance” encounter with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud and Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir.
Shortly after John Kerry’s meeting with Saud, the FBI started to backtrack Al-Harbi’s status in connection to the Boston Marathon Bombing. First, he was alleged to be a suspect, then a person of interest, then a witness, then a victim of the bombing. Now that two suspects, the Tsarnaev brothers, have been killed or taken into custody, Al-Harbi seems to be completely ignored.
On Wednesday April 17th at 5:35pm ET, the event file on Al-Harbi was altered and the order to deport was rescinded.
“This is unheard of. This is impossible in this timeline due to the severity of the charge,” Glenn explained. “You don’t one day put a 2123b charge against somebody with deportation and then the very next day take it off.”
Glenn said that there are only two people who could order the change. The Director of the NCTC after getting everybody in the agency to sign off, or somebody in the highest levels of the State Department. Glenn said TheBlaze has been unable to identify who made the alteration.
On radio, Glenn said that sources are now telling TheBlaze that this case will likely be moved from The Department of Homeland Security to The Department of Justice and labeled an ongoing investigation. This will be the reason that Janet Napolitano will be unable to respond to The Homeland Security Committee’s request for a briefing.
Glenn also said that there is a heavy disinformation campaign currently being waged against this story similar to Benghazi. He believes that claims of mistaken identity, additional Saudi nationals in custody, and more are being used to discredit further investigation into this story and confuse media outlets.
As of Monday morning, no details on the “second Saudi” in ICE custody have been provided.
“Why were there were no names, no pictures presented? The fact is, an event was created for one Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi indicating he was to be deported for terrorism activity related to the Boston bombing. If this file was created with another Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi in mind, don’t you think we should know about it?” Glenn said.
“I need you to call your congressmen right now,” Glenn said. There are congressmen who are aware of this, have seen the documentation — they need your support, they need your help,”
“If we do not stand up, he is on a plane tomorrow or he is already gone.
“We demand answers from the Justice Department and this administration.”
Glenn explained that this story is just the latest example of a pattern of connections between the Saudi government and the United States that extends beyond the current administration. He specifically pointed to the fact that days after 9/11, wealthy Saudi Arabians, including members of the bin Laden family, were flown out of the country without being questioned. For three years, no one would admit to clearing the flights.
“The Bush administration would later block the investigation into Saudi involvement into 9/11, even though 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, and would eventually force the redaction of a 28-page chapter of the 9/11 Commission report regarding foreign, specifically Saudi, support for some of the Al-Qaeda hijackers,” Glenn said.
“On January 14, 2013 President Obama met with Saudi Minister of Interior,” Glenn said. “Two days later Janet Napolitano signed agreement with Saudi minister allowing ‘trusted traveler’ status on Saudi student visitors, meaning greatly reduced security checks and scrutiny.”
“This is trusted traveler status that we don’t give to some of our most trusted allies, and we gave it to Saudi Arabia last January?” Glenn said. “So they can just walk into our country no questions asked?”
“There is a pattern,” he said. “There is a relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia the American public doesn’t know about. The case of Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi is only the latest example.”
EXCLUSIVE: KEY CONGRESSMEN REQUEST CLASSIFIED BRIEFING ON SAUDI ‘PERSON OF INTEREST’ IN BOSTON BOMBING
The House Committee on Homeland Security on Sunday emailed TheBlaze a copy of their request to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for more information on the Saudi national originally described as a “person of interest” in the Boston Marathon bombing.
The Saudi national — originally identified as Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi — has been the topic of fierce debate in recent days, after he was reportedly set to be deported under section 212 3B of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) – “Security and related grounds” – “Terrorist activities,” after the bombing.
The story gained a curious twist when, after it gained more traction, President & Chief Content Officer for TheBlaze Joel Cheatwood received word from one of his investigative reporters that “there is now discussion that they may not allow this man to be deported.”
When Napolitano was asked about the issue by South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan last week, she said his question was “so full of misstatements and misapprehension that it’s just not worthy of an answer.”
ICE sources later told TheBlaze that a separate Saudi national was in custody, and that he is “in no way affiliated” with the Boston attacks.
Now, the House Committee on Homeland Security wants some answers.
Here is a copy of the letter, signed by Chairman Michael T. McCaul, Chairman Jeff Duncan of the subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, Chairman Peter King of the subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, and Chairman Candice Miller of the subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security:
The letter reads:
We are writing to request a classified briefing on Department of Homeland Security information and actions related to the case of the original person of interest in the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 22, 2013.On Thursday, April 18th, you testified before the Committee on Homeland Security and responded to a question related to this individual’s immigration status by saying that you “were unaware of anyone being deported for national security concerns at all related to Boston.” However, media reports have continued to raise concerns about this individual and adjustments that may have been made to his immigration status, including possible visa revocation and terrorist watch-listing, in the days following the bombing.We request the Department provide a detailed overview of the records associated with this individual to include his law enforcement and immigration records prior to April 15, 2013, as well as his current status. We request briefers from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection.We appreciate your immediate attention to this issue and anticipate your prompt reply.
The committee says it has copies of the original deportation order, and has confirmed to TheBlaze and several other media outlets that the facts are as we reported last week.
Glenn Beck will break more news about the story during his Monday radio and television broadcasts.
CANADIAN AUTHORITIES SAY THEY’VE FOILED MAJOR AL-QAEDA LINKED TERRORIST PLOT
Assistant RCMP Commissioner James Malizia speaks at a press conference. (Photo: Screen Shot/Global News
Canadian police say they have thwarted a deadly al-Qaeda-supported plan to derail a passenger train as it crossed the Whirpool Rapids Bridge connecting Canada to the United States, plunging its many would-be victims 225 feet into the raging Niagara River.
“After an extensive and complex criminal investigation,” Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) representatives said during a Monday press conference, police arrested and charged two individuals with terrorism related offenses.
The suspects have been identified as 30-year-old Chiheb Esseghaier and 35-year-old Raed Jaser of Montreal and Toronto, respectively.
Police said the men are not Canadian citizens, but wouldn’t say where they are from. They face charges of conspiring to carry out an attack and murder people in association with a terrorist group.
A source said the “Amtrak Maple Leaf line, which runs from Toronto to New York City, was targeted. Canadian officials declined to confirm which trains were in the crosshairs,” the Daily Mailnotes, citing Reuters.
Police later added that the suspects received assistance from al-Qaeda figures in Iran, but said there is no indication the alleged plot was state-sponsored. They say the al-Qaeda support was in the form of “direction and guidance.”
Reuters sources reportedly added: “U.S. security and law enforcement sources [said] the suspects had sought to attack the railroad between Toronto and New York City.”
Canadian officials say they “believe the accused had the capacity and intent to carry out these criminal acts,” but assured the public it was in no danger.
The operation was conducted in close coordination with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“Each and every terrorist arrest the RCMP makes sends a message and illustrates our strong resolve to root out terrorist threats and keep Canadians and our allies safe,” Assistant Commissioner James Malizia declared. “A meaningful response to these threats begins on Canadian streets and in Canadians homes and the RCMP works with all their partners, including communities across Canada, in the fight against terrorism.”
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation adds: “Law enforcement officials say the terror suspects arrested today have no connection to the two brothers accused of last week’s Boston Marathon bombings.”
Watch Assistant RCMP Commissioner James Malizia reveal the details at the press conference:
The victim states that while he was sitting in his car on a road in Cambridge, a man approached and tapped on his passenger-side window. When the victim rolled down the window, the man reached in, opened the door, and entered the victim’s vehicle. The man pointed a firearm at the victim and stated, “Did you hear about the Boston explosion?” and “I did that.” The man removed the magazine from his gun and showed the victim that it had a bullet in, and then re-inserted the magazine. The man then stated, “I am serious.”
Connection to the Bombing in Boston I think so
6 INTERESTING THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THE BOSTON BOMBER AFFIDAVIT
Federal prosecutors on Monday charged Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill three during the Boston Marathon. If guilty, the accused terrorist could face the death penalty.
Law enforcement officials also released the full criminal complaint against Tsarnaev. Here are six of the most interesting things we learned from our first read of the legal document:
6. WHAT ABOUT THE MIT OFFICER?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Patrol Officer Sean Collier, 26, of Somerville, Mass., was shot to death, April 18, 2013, on the school campus in Cambridge, Mass. (Middlesex District Attorney’s Office/AP).
Law enforcement officials believe that before the Tsarnaev brothers led police on a wild car chase on April 18, 2013, they shot and killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology Patrol Officer Sean Collier.
However, none of this is in the affidavit. It’s unclear why prosecutors chose to omit from the complaint this chapter in the Boston terror story.
5. INJURY COUNT HIGHER THAN EXPECTED?
Getty Images.
Authorities estimate that the number of those injure din Monday’s attack has surpassed 200, higher than all earlier estimates, according to the criminal complaint against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
4) BUILDING A CASE
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. (FBI.gov)
Following the capture of Dzhokhar on Friday, police say they found a jacket and hat during a search of his room that match the ones he wore at the Boston Marathon.
3. A CONFESSION
Police search the hijacked car on Friday morning. (Screen grab)
Dzhokhar and his now-deceased brother Tamerlane, 26, allegedly hijacked a car on April, 18, according to the affidavit. This is what the victim of the hijacking told law enforcement officials after being asked about the ordeal [emphasis added]:
2. WHAT THE HIJACKING VICTIM WENT THROUGH
Getty Images.
The hijacking victim, according to the complaint, had quite an episode with the brothers that Thursday night:
One of the men compelled the victim to hand over his ATM card and password. They then drove to an ATM machine and attempted to withdraw money from the victim’s account. The two men and the victim then drove to a gas station/convenience store … the two men got out of the car, at which point the victim managed to escape.
1) DID THE SUSPECTED BOMBERS TRIGGER THE EXPLOSIONS USING CELL PHONES?
Getty Images.
Moments before the first explosion, “Bomber Two” (Dzhokhar Tsarnaev) was captured on security cameras fidgeting with his phone, according to the affidavit:
… video shows that Bomber Two remained in the same spot for approximately four minutes, occasionally looking at his cell phone and once appearing to take a picture with it. At some point he appears to look at his phone, which is held at approximately waist level, and may be manipulating the phone. Approximately 30 seconds before the first explosion, he lifts his phone to his ear as if he is speaking on his cell phone, and keeps it there for approximately 18 seconds. A few seconds after he finishes the call, the large crowd of people around him can be seen reacting to the first explosion. Virtually every head turns to the east (towards the finish line) and stares in that direction in apparent bewilderment.
Were the bombs triggered by cell phones or was Bomber Two simply talking to a friend or an associate? If the surviving brother is found guilty, and it turns out cell phones were used to trigger the explosions, will this set a precedent for authorities to kill cell service during the fog of future attacks?
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