Republican Congressman Paul Gosar claims he wants answers to his questions about alleged federal-building bomber Abdullatif Aldosary.
A letter from Gosar's chief of staff to immigration officials says Gosar wants to know why Aldosary -- whom Gosar falsely claims is a "known terrorist" -- wasn't deported.
See also:
-Debbie Schlussel: Why Did Paul Gosar Do Nothing About "Known Terrorist" in District?
-Paul Gosar Thinks Abdullatif Aldosary Is a "Known Terrorist"; He Is Not
-Abdullatif Aldosary Pleads Not Guilty
That is a question that Gosar apparently did not ask last year, after Gosar's staff tried to help Aldosary's green-card application get processed, and immigration officials wrote to Gosar's staff that Aldosary's application was denied "pursuant to the terrorism related grounds of inadmissibility."
We e-mailed Gosar's spokeswoman to see what Gosar did in response, if he actually believed his constituent lobbying him for help was a "known terrorist."
We received no response.
We're also not sure what Gosar's motivation is for calling Aldosary a "known terrorist," since we've detailed that he is not.
Aldosary was involved in a 1991 uprising against the regime of Saddam Hussein, which was egged on by the U.S. government under President George H.W. Bush. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, even so-called "freedom fighters" are under the umbrella of "terrorism related" activity, since they're classified as rebel groups.
Just months ago, Homeland Security decided that people involved in the uprisings in the Spring of 1991 would not be disqualified under "Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds."
After one phone call that maybe lasted 10 minutes, we had the answer to all five of Gosar's questions.
- He's not a "known terrorist," and his participating in the uprising no longer qualify under the "terrorism related grounds of inadmissibility."
- He's still not a "known terrorist."
- For the third time, he's not a "known terrorist."
- Yes. Further, ICE says "prior legal reviews determined that he was not removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act."
- For the fourth time, he's still not a "known terrorist" Aldosary actually came to the United States after the so-called "terrorism-related activity" occurred, so this question doesn't really make sense.
Given the evidence -- and Gosar's staff sending off this letter for media outlets to talk about -- does Gosar's demand for answers sound totally bogus, or as conservative commentator Debbie Schlussel called it, "grandstanding"?
Cast your vote below:
