NYDailyNews

Report: Hijackers Got Visas In Saudi Arabia

Fifteen of the 19 men who hijacked four airliners Sept. 11 got their U.S. visas in Saudi Arabia, where obtaining the travel document is a pushover, it was reported yesterday.

State Department records show that the 15 listed themselves as Saudi citizens, although some may have used phony identification, according to a story on The Washington Post Web site today.

Just 3% of Saudi visa applicants were rejected by U.S. consular officers during the past two fiscal years, while about 25% were nixed worldwide.

Saudis seeking visitors visas usually go through travel agencies, and U.S. diplomats call in only a small number for interviews.

By contrast, travelers from countries like Iran or Iraq — listed by the U.S. as terrorism sponsors — often must wait weeks or months while their applications are scrutinized.

President Bush named a task force Monday to "tighten up the visa policy."

The system has come under fire since the terrorist attacks struck New York and Washington, but the State Department has denied it has been lax.

Leo Standora

Original Publication Date: 10/31/01

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001