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Why Wasn't Shahzad Stopped On His Way Out of U.S.? | ||
2010-05-05 | ||
But why was he able to board that airplane to Dubai last night? Why, some are asking, wasn't Shahzad stopped by customs and immigration? The answer is: The U.S. doesn't check anyone's documents as they exit the U.S. -- only as they enter. A former Bush administration official tells ABC news that after 9/11, the counterterrorism community proposed a new requirement for all those leaving the U.S. to present their papers and documentation, "but the airlines went ballistic."
And ultimately that argument won the day. Since leaving office, the official has noticed that many other Western nations require such a step. "Everybody else does it on way out," the official says. Should the U.S. set up such a process? "We should probably build a system where when you leave country you interact with the customs and border system," the former official tells ABC News. | ||
Posted by:Steve White |