11 Egyptian Students dissapeard, Should we be worried.

[Justin24]

Eleven Egyptian students who were supposed to travel to a Montana university after flying to JFK airport late last month disappeared in New York, spurring federal authorities to issue a nationwide alert, officials said yesterday.
The students - who were traveling with six classmates from Mansoura University in Egypt - had their student visas revoked for failing to show up at Montana State University in Bozeman, the officials said.

The other six students made it to the college.

"The FBI and ICE [Immigration and Custom Enforcement] would like to locate these 11 students in order to speak with them," said FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko after the "be-on-the-lookout" alert was issued to all police in the United States.

Kolko said there is no reason to believe the missing students, all men around 20 years old, represent a threat.

"At this point, all they have done is not show up for a scheduled academic program, and their visas have been revoked," Kolko said.

"We do not know of any association with any terrorist or criminal groups. There is no threat associated with these men. We have simply asked law enforcement's assistance in locating them so that the FBI and ICE may interview them."

Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said the situation "has to be taken very seriously."

"Having a number of students from an Arab country arriving on student visas and disappearing is cause for concern," he said.

Montana State University Provost David Dooley said 17 Mansoura University students signed up for a 32-day cultural-exchange program to intensively study English, learn about Montana history and go on several field trips.

They arrived at JFK on a flight from Egypt on July 29, but only one managed to clear immigration in time to make a connecting flight, Dooley said.

By July 31, five others had arrived in Bozeman, but the rest were unaccounted for.

Dooley said the ones who showed up "were not certain about the status of their fellow students and why they haven't made it."

MSU alerted federal Homeland Security and Mansoura officials and notified the students via e-mail they had 24 hours to show up in Bozeman. None of them did, Dooley said.

He added, "We're very disappointed by this. It would be regrettable if the misadventures or irresponsibility of a number of students damaged these kinds of programs."


Officials at the Egyptian Consulate in New York and the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C., said they were unfamiliar with the situation.

dan.mangan@nypost.com

http://www.nypost.com/news/regional...nish_in_big_apple_regionalnews_dan_mangan.htm

 

[DaveC]

I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to go to Montana, either.

 

[DaveC]

As an aside, I find it horribly disturbing that a nationwide alert was put out simply because they are Egyptian.

If 11 Irish students got off a plane at JFK and chose not to show up for class, the most they'd do would be to take a look in NYC pubs and then hope they'd show up later.

Racial profiling?

 

[Liesje]

"Having a number of students from an Arab country arriving on student visas and disappearing is cause for concern," he said.

WTF? What if someone else did something bad to these kids? Or what if something bad was happening to them in Egypt so they're trying to ecape here? My closest Arab Egyptian friend is much more safe because he came here; if he sets foot back in Egypt, his family will be killed.

 

[Justin24]

Well those egyptian men have the dead terrorists from 9/11 to blame. They have the terrorist from spain who blew up trains and terrorists in England to blame for this. So should everyone in Montana and that airline be investigated so it won't be "Racial Profiling?" Thats a BS excuse that the only reason the FBI is looking for them is because there Egyptian.

 

[Liesje]

The quote is implying that there is concern simply because they are Arab and that they are the ones who are a threat to us. Any smart person who was not racists or promoting racial profiling would've said "Having a number of students from a foreign country disappear is cause for concern." Like I said, how does he know nothing bad was done to THEM?

 

[Justin24]

Like I said, how does he know nothing bad was done to THEM?

Like someone from there country who followed them and killed them or put them on a plane back to egypt. Or our government has them in secret interrigation rooms.

Dont forget the hijackers were hiding for quite some time, even though people had seen them do daily activities.

 

[DaveC]

Well those egyptian men have the dead terrorists from 9/11 to blame.

By that same point, Black people should be locking up White folks, because we have the slavers to blame for it.

It's a silly argument.

 

[Justin24]

By that same point, Black people should be locking up White folks, because we have the slavers to blame for it.

It's a silly argument.

Ok so then how would you go about trying to find these men or as a matter of fact any terrorist?? Spy, torture have a snitch what?

 

[DaveC]

Ok so then how would you go about trying to find these men or as a matter of fact any terrorist?? Spy, torture have a snitch what?

See, you're just assuming they're terrorists. Why is that?

I'm guessing they're probably just young college kids like me, who would rather spend time in New York City instead of Bozeman, Montana.

I'd keep an eye out for them, hope they turned up, deport them when they do for violating their visas (or get them to apply for refugee status if it's dangerous to go back to Egypt) and that'd be that. I wouldn't start a manhunt for 11 guys that are probably just partying in NYC. Anything more is to assume the worst, and again we get back to racial profiling.

 

[BVS]

As an aside, I find it horribly disturbing that a nationwide alert was put out simply because they are Egyptian.

If 11 Irish students got off a plane at JFK and chose not to show up for class, the most they'd do would be to take a look in NYC pubs and then hope they'd show up later.

Racial profiling?

Exactly...

 

[Justin24]

I never said they were terrorist. They should find them and question them for violating there visas and deny them access into the US for a few years.

 

[BVS]

So should everyone in Montana and that airline be investigated so it won't be "Racial Profiling?" Thats a BS excuse that the only reason the FBI is looking for them is because there Egyptian.

All of Montana and the rest of the airline aren't missing.

Justin, how would you treat this if they were 11 Austailian students?

 

[nbcrusader]

If this were a case dealing with 11 missing foreign students (staying beyond their visas) it may trigger scrutiny by Immigration and Custom Enforcement, but we wouldn't raise the issue of racial profiling.

Adding the word "Egyptian" shouldn't void the "alert".

 

[Justin24]

Do the same and find them. Anyone that violates there Visa and this means US citizens also visiting other countries should be questioned ( of course with a lawyer present)

 

[BVS]

If this were a case dealing with 11 missing foreign students (staying beyond their visas) it may trigger scrutiny by Immigration and Custom Enforcement, but we wouldn't raise the issue of racial profiling.

Adding the word "Egyptian" shouldn't void the "alert".

Yes it would trigger scrutiny with immigration and custom enforcement, but it wouldn't trigger "terrorist alert".

 

[BVS]

Do the same and find them. Anyone that violates there Visa and this means US citizens also visiting other countries should be questioned ( of course with a lawyer present)

Exactly, but this isn't what you or the article are doing.

 

[nbcrusader]

Yes it would trigger scrutiny with immigration and custom enforcement, but it wouldn't trigger "terrorist alert".

I agree.

This does not appear to be a "terrorist alert"

"We do not know of any association with any terrorist or criminal groups. There is no threat associated with these men. We have simply asked law enforcement's assistance in locating them so that the FBI and ICE may interview them."

 

[BVS]

I agree.

This does not appear to be a "terrorist alert"

The fact it was even mentioned is alert enough, that's why I put it in quotes.

Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said the situation "has to be taken very seriously."

"Having a number of students from an Arab country arriving on student visas and disappearing is cause for concern," he said.

The fact that Homeland Security is even involved and his quote above speak otherwise...

 

[nbcrusader]

Homeland Security is now the umbrella organization for many of the individual government functions (part of our reaction to 9-11), including all immigration issues.

 

[deep]

just some "electioneering".

people going to the polls today
need a dose of fear
to remind them how to vote


they release these "so-called" claims

at times when a little manipulation can make a difference

there is a pattern of "exaggerating" claims that advance their (the Admin.) cause

and "minimizing, suppressing, and even covering up" claims that can damage their cause



this information brought to you by
Karl Rove - MINISTRY. FOR PROPAGANDA

 

[Se7en]

BROWN PEOPLE LOOSE IN THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Harry Vest]

All Egyptian men in thier 20's????
Racial Profiling????
Duh!!!
If it were the swedish girls vollyball team would they be as worried???
I think not.
And rightly so.

 

[BVS]

If it were the swedish girls vollyball team would they be as worried???

Exactly, we'd treat it like a missing persons investigation rather than use it to strike fear.

 

[verte76]

What's the big deal about some Egyptian students who didn't show up for a class? Why assume they're dangerous?

 

[nbcrusader]

Ah, yes. The same group that claimed (i) Osama would be captured right before the election and (ii) each raising of the terror alert was politically motivated now brings you yet another episode of "this is all just propaganda!"

 

[nbcrusader]

If it were the swedish girls vollyball team would they be as worried???

No.


But more people would be looking for them....

 

[deep]

I'll be waiting for the
"Egyptians Gone Wild" video.

 

[anitram]

According to CNN there are currently 3.6 MILLION visa violators in the US (ie. people who went missing). Why are they reporting these 11 specifically?

 

[nbcrusader]

Slow news day?

The attention span has lapsed on the Hezbollah rocket attacks, people need something new, something fresh.