[UPI] Shaun Waterman - Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), chairman of the House subcommittee on terrorism and non-proliferation, told UPI he is concerned that Hizballah might be positioning itself for an attack against the U.S. "We're seeing a pattern of activities on the border and elsewhere" indicating "a renewed operational focus by Hizballah on getting their people in over the border, between the ports of entry." Royce said there was a rise in the number of ethnic Lebanese with Brazilian nationality apprehended at the border. "We're seeing a pattern of (Hizballah) operatives" from Latin American countries "attempting to come into the United States." "We know that there are Hizballah people here," he said, adding that as many as 300 "individuals doing work for Hizballah" had been apprehended - arrested or convicted - "over the years." "The question is, could these types of cells be given the green light" to commit terrorist attacks within the U.S.? Federal law enforcement officials told UPI that the scenario of a "self-generated" jihadi plot undertaken without command or control from Hizballah was as worrying a scenario as an actual plot from the terror group.
2006-08-04 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive