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Arabia
Soddies expected to fingerprint Merkins...
2002-10-08
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh has advised Americans that the Saudi government may subject them to fingerprinting as part of their visa or entry process, as the United States is doing to some foreign visitors in the wake of Sept. 11. An embassy message issued Sunday to U.S. citizens residing in the kingdom said the new "measures are in response to the introduction at U.S. ports of entry ... of the National Security Entry Exit Registration System."
Petty and stupid. No problem.
But a Saudi Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the embassy statement was "inaccurate and speculative, and Saudi authorities are not in a habit of taking quick action in the form of a reaction."
"Even we realize how stupid that'll make us look..."
Under the U.S. system, which went into effect last week, selected visitors are fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service upon arrival to the United States. In announcing the new U.S. rules in June, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft declined to disclose the criteria the government will use to identify which visitors might be deemed threatening, but said nearly all visitors from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan and Syria _ countries listed by the U.S. State Department as state sponsors of terrorism -- would face the new scrutiny. That was later expanded to include men from Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally and the home country of 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers.
"... 'cuz 15 Soddies flew aircraft into buildings full of people in the U.S., and to date no Merkins have flown aircraft into anything in Soddy Arabia."
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#2  Any American (other than diplomatic and military personnel) who wants to visit Saudi Arabia should not only be fingerprinted, but should be observed for suicidal tendencies.
Posted by: Tresho   2002-10-09 01:06:29  

#1  All severed hands will subsequently be checked against the Saudi fingerprint data base.
Posted by: Hermetic   2002-10-08 13:39:27  

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