FBI & BICE Target Iraqi Nationals
Posted Mar 28, 2003

With the current conflict in Iraq, agents from both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE) have started apprehending Iraqi nationals. The apprehensions began on March 20, 2003 in a joint FBI / BICE initiative, as part of Operation Liberty Shield. The targets are specific Iraqi nationals, unlawfully in the U.S., who have been identified based on certain intelligence criteria. They are viewed as threats to U.S. security. The MurthyBulletin previously provided information on Operation Liberty Shield in our March 21, 2003 article, DHS Watch : Security Remains the Top Priority, available on MurthyDotCom.

The recently established BICE serves as the primary investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). BICE's mission includes various investigative services for the purpose of apprehending terrorists or immigration violators. BICE investigates terrorist financing, illegal arms dealing, immigration fraud and migrant smuggling, and similar matters. In a press release, DHS and BICE point out that BICE, which has a workforce of nearly 14,000, along with the Federal Protective Service, will be able to provide better security to the U.S. Further information is available on the BICE WebSite.

Immigration violators do not always equate to a security risk. The valuable tax dollars provided for BICE funding should be focused on apprehending terrorists and criminals who pose a genuine threat to the U.S. Though the government may have security reasons for focusing on Iraqis, to target them merely because of minor infractions appears to be a waste of valuable resources that should be used to locate true threats.