Islamic State can make fake Syrian passports: U.S. report

[alp227]

Source: Reuters

A U.S. government agency report has warned that Islamic State has the ability to create fake Syrian passports, a federal official confirmed on Friday.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed the contents of a story by CNN on Friday about the report, but declined to provide a copy of the report.

The report says Islamic State has access to Syrian government passport printing machines and blank passports, raising the possibility the travel documents could be faked, CNN reported, citing a law enforcement source.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-usa-passports-idUSKBN0TV02820151212

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Original CNN article: U.S. report warns of ISIS' ability to create fake passports

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. When I enter the U.S. at an airport, my passport is scanned

Would a fake passport get past the scanner?

I don't know if it's scanned when I enter via car from Canada. Sitting in the car, it's hard to see what the customs agent is doing.

[Yo_Mama]

7. Yes, it would, because these are in fact valid passports, made in the same way as any

Syrian passport.

They just contain fake information about the holder's identity. In some cases they have pulled a valid Syrian person's information and substituted the personal info of whoever got the passport.

This "news" was broken in the European papers in September, so I don't know how our government just "noticed". I suspect that this topic was officially ruled out before by our government.

[Duckhunter935]

2. no shit

and Iraqi ones too, they overran cities that had passport centers and not to mention possible foreign embassies.

[840high]

3. Duh...

[DFW]

4. This is "late-breaking" where?

I was told this in Brussels 6 weeks ago, and it wasn't and kind of secret then.

[Yo_Mama]

8. Exactly - the European papers had this back in September.

I understand we can have other priorities, but WTF? Our government is just admitting this now??

[Igel]

9. Because it would be nice if government findings weren't

of the same caliber as things printed in a newspaper.

Otherwise, perhaps we can rest assured that Batboy really does exist.

And let's not forget about the endangered tree octopus.

I guess what's printed must always be true. Remember the Maine.

[Yo_Mama]

10. Well, the European papers had proof and interviews with LE people.

Sometimes American journalism amazes me - there are times when "navel-gazing" doesn't even come CLOSE to describing the insularity.

[Democat]

5. Yet many on DU think it's impossible that terrorists will pose as refugees

And they deny there is any reason to review US visa procedures.

[MariaThinks]

6. That seems like a real possibility