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Wash Times: Tamil Tiger Terrorists operating in the U.S.

By see-dubya  •  April 7, 2008 02:58 PM

{Guest post by See-Dubya}

One of the world’s most dangerous terrorist groups is setting up a fundraising base inside the United States, the Wash Times reports. It’s somewhat mitigated by the fact that they’re not directing their terror at the United States, but rather in pursuit of their own civil war in Sri Lanka. But their tactics their are brutal–they use waves of suicide bombers, possibly even more than Islamic terrorists do.*

“Its ruthless tactics have inspired terrorist networks worldwide, including al Qaeda in Iraq,” the FBI said in a recent profile, adding that the group had “placed operatives right here in our own back yard, discreetly raising money to fund its bloody terrorist campaign overseas.”

It’s a thorough report, but it omits some LTTE-connected arrests in October that might interest some of you:

Until his arrest, Velayuthampillai worked three jobs at Newark Airport as a security agent and baggage handler with complete security clearance.

Prosecutors said Velayuthampillai entered the U.S. with a fake passport and dubious tale of persecution. He was given political asylum in December 2001 under circumstances still under investigation by District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.

More about the case here, including a reasonable bit of grumpiness from Chuck Schumer, who was appalled at the ease with which 24 people with identical sob stories were granted asylum.

As for people of questionable immigration status working in airport security…you may remember that’s not as rare as we might like to think.

_________________________________

*Caveat–I don’t have a side-by-side comparison that I’m basing that statement on, but I think it’s accurate. I’ve heard how the LTTE bombs inflate (and distort) global assessments of terrorism and suicide bombing, and I know that that was a factor in Robert Pape’s 2006 article about suicide bombers. Here’s a frightening list of recent Tamil Tiger suicide bombings, but be warned that there is a horribly graphic photo of a decapitated suicide bomber right at the top of the page.

See what others have said

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  1. #1
    On April 7th, 2008 at 3:11 pm, brooklyn red said:

    Oh, freakin lovely… and our borders are still open because? Obama, Clinton or McCain? I’m sorry but I gotta blame Bush, cause he is in the white house right freakin now.

  2. #2
    On April 7th, 2008 at 3:17 pm, PBoilermaker said:

    As for people of questionable immigration status working in airport security…you may remember that’s not as rare as we might like to think.

    I worked at a major international airport during HS and college. The number and type of people that have unfettered access to aircraft, baggage, service vehicles and cargo is downright mortifying.

  3. #3
    On April 7th, 2008 at 3:20 pm, granite said:

    #1 On April 7th, 2008 at 3:11 pm, brooklyn red said:

    “I’m sorry but I gotta blame Bush, cause he is in the white house right freakin now.”

    No need to be sorry…you’re absolutely correct.

  4. #4
    On April 7th, 2008 at 3:21 pm, letget said:

    Isn’t this just dandy. Now we have another ‘terriorist’ group here. The ROP was not enough! Got to wonder, how many other’s are out there?
    L

  5. #5
    On April 7th, 2008 at 3:26 pm, On-my-soap-box said:

    What ever you do, do not ask them their nationality. That would be un-PC and violate their rights.

    /max sarc off

  6. #6
    On April 7th, 2008 at 3:35 pm, Boomer said:

    The average citizen gets to kick off their shoes, undergo stringent security sometimes resulting in a strip search while those that handle checked baggage or work in secure areas are on the side of our enemies or in this country illegally. The sad thing is an ICE raid on every major airport in the nation would probably come up with double digit illeagl invaders being netted working in a secure area.

  7. #7
    On April 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    The sad thing is an ICE raid on every major airport in the nation would probably come up with double digit illeagl invaders being netted working in a secure area.

    Boomer, exactly right, and a good place to start.

  8. #8
    On April 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm, TMoney said:

    Hey..if you want to raise money, come to the US. We have plenty of anti-American people here that are all to happy to donate to any terrorist cause.

    From the latest (published) figures, over 20 Billion per year is donated to the terrorist countries to the south of us by people working right here. According to many accounts, a lot of those donors work for contractors on government contracts in places like…military bases. Go figure.

  9. #9
    On April 7th, 2008 at 4:15 pm, graysonret said:

    It makes you wonder how many other terrorist cells are in the U.S., working hard and raising money for their “bombers”. Gee, if we can only figure out a way to get them to form a Tamil Tiger Brigade of the Army… Sure could use their bombers in Iraq and Afghanistan, against Al Qaeda and militia. :) Can’t promise them “virgins”…maybe U.S.citzenship for their families? Better than the illegals.

  10. #10
    On April 7th, 2008 at 5:47 pm, Sean.Hackbarth said:

    For decades the IRA used the U.S. as a fundraising source. The Palestinians and Islamists followed that trend. Now, we have the Tamil Tigers finally realizing the U.S. still doesn’t have its act together. I’m sure Sri Lanka is thrilled about the news.

  11. #11
    On April 7th, 2008 at 6:12 pm, bit_boy said:

    Is this the same group Bush looked in the eyes and saw Putin’s soul…woops, wrong Bush foreign policy. Well then, is this a group of 23 Tamil Tiger Terrorists that were given full scholarships at the University of Michigan…no,that would have been another group of court appointed privileged. Well then, is this the group detained four years and released under strict conditions after a federal appeals court branded the government’s case “patently absurd.” Yes, released by a Federal Appeals Court. Do I feel safer knowing this court is at work. Ya, sure, you betya.

  12. #12
    On April 7th, 2008 at 8:37 pm, beenthere said:

    Thomas Sowell’s book Affirmative Action Around the World has an excellent and brief account of the Sri Lankan civil war; how the country went from a bi-racial paradise (much better than the U.S.) to a racial nightmare far worse than anything we have today. It is truly a tragic story and while one can have some sympathy with the Tamil Tigers (their story is quite different from the Islamites), the brutality of the war is such that I doubt it will ever find a peaceful resolution.

  13. #13
    On April 8th, 2008 at 7:29 am, DannoJyd said:

    Exit Question: Will this get better or worse under a McCain administration? To me, the answer is obvious.

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Categories: Homeland Security, Terrorist attacks