9 minutes agoThey're suspected of terrorist connections: Afghans found in “Bandsteel” could be denied access to US
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Afghans being held at a military base in Kosovo risk being banned from US entry due to their suspicious links to Taliban and other terrorist groups, American officials have said, reports The Wall Street Journal “. Less than ten Afghans have not qualified for entry, as security officials [...]
Less than ten Afghans have not qualified for entry, as security officials found disqualified data for them during an expanded property process, according to a person close to the issue. Some 90 other people are continuing to be investigated by the “Bundsel” camp in Kosovo, according to administration officials.
Afghans held in the camp in Kosovo pointed to difficult conditions in which families of children have spent several months in joint tents, with little data on the reasons for the impasse of their trip, according to Simina Quorishi, who heads a nonprofit organisation that helps Afghan women. Her sister was held in a camp for several months with her husband, who is a contractor to the American Army, and three small children.
US intelligence personnel, counter-intelligence and protection are carrying out the broad veto of individuals at “Bandsteel” to determine whether there are more of them that might be allowed to continue the trip to the US, as some have already done.
Among the Afghans being held in Kosovo is the former head of an Afghan intelligence agency, a three-star Afghan general and a former National Security Council spokeswoman, Gazeta Express notes.
Julie Sirrs, a lawyer who is helping the former Afghan intelligence agency chief, who is being held with families in Kosovo, said the administration should provide more resources to speed up the case review. Mrs. Sirrs met with the intelligence agency's chief when he was working on intelligence issues in Afghanistan and I don't know why he's holding on.
He was one of our main allies. He helped us enormously during that first period, when we entered Afghanistan”, she said.
Individuals currently located at “Bandsteel” are technically free to leave or withdraw from the US entry application process, but must be another state that agrees to receive, US officials said. At least one person has accomplished this successfully.
Officials said there are no known terrorists at Camp “Randstein” but refused to provide more information about who is being held there.
