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| Deported American woman lands at LAX |
| 2003-01-30 |
| An American woman deported by Russia after allegations that she contacted al Qaida, offering help in attacking Hollywood targets, arrived Wednesday night at Los Angeles International Airport, where FBI agents were waiting to question her. Local television reports showed her Aeroflot plane, Flight 321 from Moscow, landing at around 9:30 p.m. PST at LAX. The Aeroflot office in Los Angeles confirmed that the flight had landed and declined to release any information about its passengers. Megan McRee "will be interviewed by agents once she gets off the plane," Laura Bosley, a spokeswoman for the FBI office in Los Angeles, told United Press International. McRee, 35, has not been charged. "Welcome to the United States! Put yer hands up!" Russia deported her after accusing her of establishing contact with al Qaida and other Islamic extremist groups and offering to prepare for and take part in terrorist attacks on the United States. Russia's Federal Security Service said she had entered Russia two years ago and had lived in the Moscow area for an extended period of time on an expired visa and without proper registration. The security service said McRee had used the Internet to contact a number of well-known Islamic extremist organizations and proposed several "scenarios of terrorist acts, including such acts against the United States, and offered to take part in their implementation." Russian television said McRee had contact with operatives of al Qaida and the Islamic Brotherhood using the Internet, which had been monitored by the security services. In one message sent by McRee and intercepted by the security services, she suggested against placing attacks on heavily guarded administrative buildings and airports. She advised terrorists to attack easier targets such as "Hollywood studios and Hollywood actors." Hummmm, maybe I was wrong about her. The FSB decided to deport McRee based on the immigration violation. The television network said McRee told the Russian authorities she had left the United States 10 years ago because of persecution by the CIA and had lived in Romania before moving to Moscow. Before being deported, McRee told officials she intended to seek political asylum in Russia. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow did not comment on the expulsion. Russia's Channel 1 network broadcast an interview with an unidentified security official, whose face was obscured, who said the expulsion took place "for the sake of the United States and the world." "We got enough nuts of our own, you take her!" |
| Posted by:Steve |