project, after which the decision will be made whether or not this comports with the requirements of section 641. If it does and it can be expanded, it would be a wonderful thing. We acknowledge our shortfalls in our ability to track students right now. Part of that problem is that the present system requires feeding huge amounts of pieces of paper to a contractor for data input, and so they have the equivalent of a huge boiler room of people data-inputting. That not only causes to some extent keying errors, but it also causes a problem of timeliness in getting the data into our present system. And that, to the extent that it impedes INS' capacities or the capacity of other agencies to see who is here under student visas, it is a problem. Senator FEINSTEIN. One last question. Senator Kyl asked you about the Visa Waiver Pilot Project. Of the terrorists that you elucidated in your remarks, were any of them part of the Visa Waiver Pilot Program? Mr. CADMAN. I believe I could not tell you that the program has not been used for that purpose, and I think we have been pretty Senator FEINSTEIN. Is the answer yes? Mr. CADMAN. Yes. But in fairness, I want to say that we are aware that there are impediments to the full functioning of VWPP as it was envisioned. Part of that is the issuance process used by other governments in their passports and travel documents, bringing them up to a U.S.-machine readable type of standard. And one of the things that has been done, in part because of amending legislation, is that the Attorney General has taken a role in this process and has directed the establishment of an interagency working group that is under the direction of the EONS, the Executive Office for National Security, within DOJ. And they are taking all of these concerns very, very, very seriously. So I want certainly to leave you with the understanding_that Main Justice and INS are aware of some of the project's shortcomings. We have not advocated that it be stopped, but we have certainly advocated that it be frozen in place pending the results of this interagency working group and that there be better methods of collection of data about the individuals who have come in under the program. Senator FEINSTEIN. When should that study be completed? When could we expect it? Mr. CADMAN. I don't know, Senator, but we will find out the answer for you. Senator FEINSTEIN. Thank you. Senator KYL. Great. Thank you. Senator Feinstein, I am going to break my own rule here, because we have got to go to the next panel, but I do want to ask Mr. Watson one final question. On February 23, we received a memorandum from the CIA Counterterrorism Center regarding the fatwas or religious rulings by militant Islamic groups against the United States. Let me just read three paragraphs of that memorandum and ask your response to it: The coalition of Islamic groups in London and terrorist financer Usama Bin Ladin have issued separate fatwas, or religious rulings, calling for attacks on U.S. persons and interests worldwide and on those U.S. allies. Although referencing the current confrontation with Iraq, both fatwas called for attacks to continue until U.S. forces "retreat" from Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem. The fatwa from the group in London also calls for attacks until sanctions on Iraq are lifted. These fatwas are the first from these groups that explicitly justify attacks on American civilians anywhere in the world. Both groups have hinted in the past that civilians are legitimate targets, but this is the first religious ruling sanctifying such attacks. While the religious clerics who issued these rulings are not named, the two groups consider the fatwas to be legitimate. The group in London made reference to unnamed religious authorities in Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. Are we in a period of heightened risk? Should Americans be concerned about these threats? Mr. WATSON. Certainly Americans should be concerned about these threats as it relates to-you referred to it. The FBI has a criminal investigation going forward on Mr. Bin Ladin, so I would like to hold those comments in abeyance. The fatwa is certainly an issue. We know the Iranians have issued fatwas, Salman Rushdie, for instance. This is not an uncommon type of occurrence, that they will continue, and we do see, working with our counterparts at the agency, increased threats toward American targets, not only military but soft targets around the world, U.S. businesses, businessmen, -women, tourists, and targets of that nature. I think this is a trend. Obviously those terrorist organizations want the United States out of Saudi Arabia and out of the Middle East. If they had their preference, especially the clerics would issue a fatwa to that effect. It does not surprise me at all. Senator KYL. Thank you very much, Mr. Watson, Mr. Cadman, Mr. Rohde. We very much appreciate your testimony. We will be submitting some additional questions to you for a response on the record. Thank you. Senator KYL. Now we will, as this panel is exiting, turn to our third and final panel: Benjamin Jacobson, Omar Ashmawy, and Steve Emerson. As our final panelists are taking a seat at the table, let me introduce them. Our last panel today will provide with an in-depth look at the growth of extremist Islamic terrorist infrastructures and criminal enterprises in the United States and the threat that this growth poses to the moderate Muslim community and America. Mr. Jacobson, our first witness on this last panel, is testifying before us today in his capacity as a private consultant hired in 1988 by the largest coupon processor in the United States to ferret out the sources of supermarket coupon fraud. This fraud was costing the industry millions of dollars by its own estimate and thought to be affiliated with foreign terrorists. While investigating this case over the course of the next 6 years, Mr. Jacobson discovered that lucrative networks of coupon fraud artists existed, some of whom were indeed affiliated with terrorist groups and engaged in other forms of criminal activity. One of the individuals identified in this scam is now serving 240 years for his role in the World Trade Center conspiracy. Mr. Jacobson is a former New York City Police Department detective who served as the director of security for Philip Morris Companies and Bankers Trust prior to starting his own consulting business. And as I introduce each of the three of you, let me again say that I am very, very sorry that our time is so constrained, but this panel will have to consume no more than about 20 to 25 minutes at the absolute maximum. So, I apologize for restricting your testimony, but please be aware of those constraints as we begin. [The memorandum about fatwas or religious rulings follows:] UNCLASSIFIED 23 February 1998 SUBJECT: Fatwas or Religious Rulings by Militant Islamic Groups Against the 1. This memorandum responds to your request for information about the recent fatwas issued by militant Islamic groups calling for attacks against the United States. 2. A coalition of Islamic groups in London and terrorist financier Usama Bin Ladin have issued separate fatwas, or religious rulings, calling for attacks on US persons and interests worldwide, and on those of US allies. Although referencing the current confrontation with Iraq, both fatwas cail for attacks to continue until US forces "retreat" from Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem. The fatwa from the groups in London also calls for attacks until sanctions on Iraq are lifted. 3. These fatwas are the first from these groups that explicitly justify attacks on American civilians anywhere in the world. Both groups have hinted in the past that civilians are legitimate targets, but this the first religious ruling sanctifying such attacks. 4. While the religious clerics who issued these rulings are not named, the two groups consider the fatwas to be legitimate. The group in London made reference to unnamed religious authorities in Lebanon, Jordan, and "Palestine." Attachment Text of Fatwa by Usama Bin Ladin's Organization This memorandum was prepared by Cynthia Btorer. DCI Counterterrorist Center. It was coordinated within the CIA. Comments and queries are welcome and may be directed to the Chief, Near East/South Asia Assessments Branch on 72974 secure or (703) 874-5009 nonsecure. (V) UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT: UNCLASSIFIED Fatwas or Religious Rulings by Militant Islamic Groups Against the US Fatwa Issued by Usama Bin Ladin's Organization MUSLIM WORLD: Text of Fatwa Urging Jihad Against Americans ["Text of World Islamic Front's Statement Urging Jihad Against [FBIS Translated Text] Praise be to God, who revealed the since God made it flat, - - been stormed by The Arabian Peninsula has never First, for over seven years the United States has been occupying 2 UNCLASSIFIED |