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By Anita Vogel
10-24-2
- LOS ANGELES - For
years, the United States has fingerprinted and photographed visitors
from countries whose citizens could pose a security risk.
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- But Saudi Arabia, once considered one of America's
staunchest allies in the Middle East, was never one of them. Now
things have changed, and both countries are eyeing each other's people
with suspicion.
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- Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia -- the country that
was home to Usama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 terrorists --
joined the list of countries whose citizens America fingerprints and
photographs when they come to the States.
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- The Saudi Sept. 11 terrorists came to the U.S. on
valid visas. Many Saudi students said the new rules made it impossible
for them to continue their studies.
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- The government said it was a necessary step to
ensure America's safety from future attacks. Attorney General John
Ashcroft said that if such a system had been in place in 2001, it
might have helped ferret out the terrorists who had overstayed their
visit and stayed in the U.S. on expired visas.
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- Now the Saudis have started a similar policy for
Americans traveling to their country, and that has some Americans
steaming.
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- "This is clearly just a symbolic retaliation by the
Saudi government for the new policies that have been imposed by the
United States government," Ira Mehlman, of the Federation for American
Immigration Reform, said.
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- Some 30,000 Americans live in the kingdom.
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- If that sounds too small-minded for international
diplomacy, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif admitted as much in a
recent interview with the Arab News.
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- "Our dealings (with other countries) will be
reciprocal," he said. "We'll deal with every country in the same way
as they deal with us."
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- While Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites of
Islam, is not exactly a figurative mecca for American tourists,
thousands travel there each year. Among them is Carolyn MacIntyre, of
Geographic Expeditions, who is going to the kingdom to look into
arranging tour groups. She said she's not bothered by the extra
hassle.
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- "I don't really mind," she said. "I wish there was
another way, I wish there were ways where everybody felt comfortable
to the point where it wasn't necessary for anybody to do that."
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- But some politicians were less forgiving.
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- "What's alarming about this is that it reflects an
attitude on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government that perhaps they
are in some way being threatened by the people of the United Sates or
we are no longer their friends," Rep. Dana Rohrbacher, R-Calif., said.
"At a time when their people attacked us they should be bending over
backwards to appeal to our friendship."
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- Neither the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C., nor
the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles would comment on the new
policy.
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- But some see this move as more than an
inconvenience. They say it's just another sign that Riyadh may not be
as friendly to U.S. interests as it once was.
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The Mulindwas
communication group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in
anarchy"
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