SO this is the thing. There was a not too accurate report early on that Tashfeen Malik had posted jihadist messages on her Facebook account and immigration officials weren’t allowed to see them when considering her “fiance VISA.” That’s not quite right. As it turns out, she had posted jihadist supporting messages on private messages, and on emails, but not in public.
From the NY Times about the false report:
On Wednesday, the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, referred to such reporting as “a garble.” And, as it turns out from his statements and from further reporting, Ms. Malik had not posted “openly” on social media. She had written emails; she had written private messages, not visible to the public; and she had written on a dating site.
Regardless of that, however, House Rep. Goodlatte just today posted FOUR ways in which the federal government screwed up its job, and let in a terrorist that they probably shouldn’t have.
From Goodlatte’s press release:
- One of the many requirements to obtain a K-1 fiancée visa is to show proof that the U.S. citizen petitioner and foreign national have met in person. However, the immigration file contains only two pieces of information on this subject: (i) a statement by Syed Farook that he and Malik had been together in Saudi Arabia, and (ii) copies of pages from their passports, containing visas to enter Saudi Arabia and stamps in Arabic.
- The immigration official reviewing Malik’s visa application requested that the passport stamps be translated into English to confirm that they were in Saudi Arabia at the same time, but Malik’s immigration file does not contain an English translation of the passport stamps.
- At the request of House Judiciary Committee staff, a contractor with the Congressional Research Service (CRS) translated the passport stamps. Malik’s passport shows a Saudi Arabian entry stamp dated approximately June 4, 2013. Her exit stamp is partially illegible and the translator could not make out the month or day of her departure in 2013. Farook’s passport shows a Saudi Arabian entry stamp of October 1, 2013. The exit stamp was determined to be approximately October 20, 2013.
- However, even if Farook and Malik were in Saudi Arabia at the same time, this does not provide evidence that they met in person. Additionally, Malik’s Saudi Arabian visa was good for only 60 days, so this would cast doubt on the claim that the two were in Saudi Arabia at the same time. And even if Farook and Malik met in Saudi Arabia, there is insufficient evidence in the file for USCIS to have made that determination.
I know personally of people who have applied for this same VISA (no they were not Mexican, shaddup) and the process is extremely onerous and intrusive. Just how the hell did these terrorists get through without every damn “i” being dotted and every “t” being crossed?! You know what word has both an “i” and a “t”?!??! JIHADIST.
Finally, even if she didn’t have a PUBLIC Facebook post supporting Jihad, don’t you think that MAYBE it might be a good idea for even private social media posts to be available for review if we’re letting in possible terrorists from the MIDDLE EAST?!?!??!
Ok. I need a stiff drink.