GMA just did a story on the missing Egyptian students.

[tanyev]

They "forgot" to mention this, though:

Response to Skipping School Riles Chertoff

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was less than pleased when the Federal Bureau of Investigation put out a BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) for 11 Egyptian students who failed to show up for class.

“The secretary was not happy that we went so far for a just a bunch of kids who cut class,” said one senior Homeland Security official. “It’s a visa violation not a national security matter. “ Foreign students now undergo background checks before being granted visas, the official said. The FBI said today that it was continuing to search for the missing students along with agents from Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau. “This remains an active investigation,” said FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2443995


Amazingly well-connected Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Julie Myers is on top of the situation. "If anybody knows anything about the whereabouts of these students, please let us know," she chirped perkily. Maybe she should try putting up fliers at a bunch of Starbucks. That seems to work pretty well for missing pets.

[WolverineDG]

1. They got "raptured."

That's what I've been telling my fundie friends who are in knots about "terrorists" on the loose. :eyes:

dg

[tanyev]

2. It seems strange that the man who was so quick to crow about

their success in foiling a flimsy plot to blow up the Sears Tower and in preventing an attack on the NYC Subway, which later was quietly revealed to be a bogus tip, has so little interest in this matter. Eleven missing college students is a big story no matter where they came from. Imagine the news orgy at Fox if eleven beautiful, young, wealthy white girls got on a plane for a distant college and never arrived. "Misty and Heather wanted to be sorority sisters their whole lives. They never would have been late for rush week!"

[Lurking Dem]

3. Why are they assuming

that nothing untoward happened to these students? I mean, why are they being treated as VISA violators (entirely possible but supposition) and not "missing persons" (also possible)?