INSULT By MICHELLE MALKIN http://nypost.com/php/pfriendly/pfriendly.php?url=/commentary/38838.htm
DO YOU remember when immigration officials sent out flight-school visa-ap proval notices for two of the 9/11 hijackers � six months after they had committed their suicide attacks on America? President Bush proclaimed his outrage, four federal immigration officials were reassigned, and Washington vowed that such embarrassing bureaucratic snafus would never happen again. I'm sorry to report that it has, in fact, happened again. On Jan. 15, immigration officials sent a notice to Eugueni Kniazev of Brooklyn. The letter informs Kniazev, a Siberian immigrant, that he is now "deemed to be a lawful permanent resident of the United States." The notice directs Kniazev to obtain a new alien registration receipt card (a "green card"), and instructs him to appear at the immigration office at 26 Federal Plaza with his passport and three recent photos. The letter warns Kniazev not to travel outside the United States without approval. But Eugueni Kniazev won't be appearing at Federal Plaza. He won't be traveling anywhere. Kniazev, 47, was an employee of Windows on the World on the 107th floor of the North Tower. He was murdered in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Let me repeat that for the clueless paper-pushers at the Department of Homeland Security: Eugueni Kniazev won't be picking up his green card because he has been dead for nearly 31/2 years. What on earth is wrong with our federal government? Can you imagine how upsetting it must have been for his family to receive the letter? Why didn't it occur to anybody to cross-check the list of 9/11 victims against Citizenship and Immigration Services' records? A Homeland Security spokesman told me it's up to family members to notify the government when a green-card applicant dies. "It's unfortunate," he said, but there is no mechanism in place to prevent this from happening again. Did Homeland Security learn nothing from the dead-hijacker visa fiasco? After that debacle, officials pledged "to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's immigration system." In the fall of 2002, President Bush created the behemoth Department of Homeland Security, encompassing 22 agencies and 180,000 employees, with a nearly $34 billion budget. Last month, the president signed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, creating another huge mega-agency, "to ensure that the people in government responsible for defending America have the best possible information to make the best possible decisions." Promises, promises. Despite billions spent on restructuring and new technology, our homeland-security system is still unable to prevent a visa-approval notice from being sent to a dead person. The fact that the letter recipient is a murdered Sept. 11 victim adds unconscionable insult to bureaucratic injury. Eugueni Kniazev was "always looking for something better," a close relative told me. He was a hard worker and a good man. He left his small village in Siberia 13 years ago in search of that "something better." He found it in New York City, where he started out washing dishes and quickly moved up the ladder. In January 2001, Kniazev was hired as facilities manager at Windows on the World, where he was responsible for maintenance and oversight of everything from the stoves to the refrigerators to the wall paint. Michael Lomonaco, head chef at Windows of the World, said his death was "a real loss." Lomonaco remembered Kniazev as a "bright, articulate and energetic fellow." He was "honest, dedicated and a model of all that is possible for someone looking to make it in the United States." Kniazev was proud of his job and inspired by working in one of the nation's most powerful symbols of success. Although he worried about a possible terrorist attack, he told his family when he took the position that he "wasn't going to let it bother me." The always upbeat Kniazev had eagerly awaited his green card and citizenship. His family hopes his case will lead to reform � and his case is only the tip of the incompetence iceberg: * The nation's various fingerprint databases still have not been integrated because of bickering among FBI, State Department and DHS officials. Most visitors entering the country still aren't thoroughly screened for terrorist or criminal ties. * There is still no system in place for notifying investigators about stolen passports, which led the DHS inspector general to conclude last month that foreigners using fraudulent documents have "little reason to fear being caught." * The long-delayed entry-exit tracking system for foreign visitors � in the works for nearly a decade � has still not been implemented fully. * There is still no systematic tracking of illegal alien felons. * And while millions of legal applicants deal with paperwork backlogs and mishaps that take years to resolve, the White House supports granting "temporary guest worker" status to upward of 20 million illegal aliens � a move that rank-and-file officers say will lead to rampant fraud and even greater bureaucratic overload. The same overwhelmed and inept immigration system that facilitated Eugueni Kniazev's murder has now made a mockery of his memory. What more will it take before "never again" is more than just an empty rhetorical mantra to ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^pacify the American public? You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
