Page 4 - MIN JUS 5 DEC 2015

U.S. NEWS A3
Saturday 5 December 2015

California killing spurs concerns California shootings:
about fiancé visa program in US
FBI investigates attack as act of terrorism
GARANCE BURKE
ALICIA A. CALDWELL AMANDA MYERS anyone affiliated with the ily urged the public not to
Associated Press TAMI ABDOLLAH Islamic State communicat- rush to judgment.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The woman who carried out the Associated Press ed back to Malik, but he “If the most evidence
San Bernardino massacre with her husband came to SAN BERNARDINO, Cali- said there was no indica- there is to any affiliation is
the U.S. last year on a special visa for fiances of U.S. fornia (AP) — The FBI an- tion yet that the plot was a Facebook account un-
citizens, raising questions about whether the process nounced Friday that it is in- directed by ISIS or any oth- der another person’s name
can adequately vet people who may sympathize vestigating the mass shoot- er foreign terror group. ... then that’s hardly any-
with terrorist groups. ing at a California office “The investigation so far has thing at all,” attorney David
Authorities said Friday that Pakistani citizen Tashfeen party as an act of terrorism, developed indications of Chesley said.
Malik, 27, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State but the agency’s director radicalization by the killers Farook and Malik rented a
group and its leader under an alias account on Face- said there is no indication and of potential inspiration townhome where investi-
book just moments before she and her husband, Syed that the husband and wife by foreign terrorist organi- gators said they found an
Farook, opened fire on a holiday banquet for his co- who killed 14 were part of a zations,” Comey said. arsenal of ammunition and
workers Wednesday, killing 14. They later died in a gun
battle with police. Attorneys David Chesley, left, and Mohammad Abuershaid speak to reporters, Friday, Dec. 4,
Malik, who had been living with her family in Saudi 2015, in Los Angeles. The two are attorneys for the family of Syed Farook, one of the heavily armed
Arabia and Pakistan, passed several government shooters that opened fire Wednesday at a banquet, killing multiple people and seriously wound-
background checks and entered the U.S. in July 2014 ing others in a precision assault.
on a K-1 visa, which allowed her to travel to the U.S.
and get married within 90 days of arrival. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Malik was subjected to a vetting process the U.S. gov-
ernment describes as vigorous, including in-person larger plot or members of a Despite mounting signs of homemade bombs. On
interviews, fingerprints, checks against U.S. terrorist terror cell. the couple’s radicalization, Friday morning, the prop-
watch lists and reviews of her family members, travel Authorities did not cite there “is a lot of evidence erty’s owner allowed re-
history and places where she lived and worked. The specific evidence that led that doesn’t quite make porters inside. An upstairs
process began when she applied for a visa to move them to the terrorism focus, sense,” Comey added. bedroom had a crib, boxes
to the United States and marry Farook, a 28-year-old but a U.S. law enforcement The U.S. official who re- of diapers and a computer.
Pakistani-American restaurant health inspector who official said the wife, Tash- vealed the Facebook post The couple had a 6-month-
was raised in California. feen Malik, under a Face- was not authorized to dis- old daughter.
Foreigners applying from countries recognized as book alias had pledged cuss the case publicly and The FBI said analysts were
home to Islamic extremists, such as Pakistan, undergo allegiance to the Islamic spoke on condition of ano- trying to retrieve data
additional scrutiny before the State Department and State group and its leader. nymity. from two cellphones found
Homeland Security Department approve permission A Facebook official said The Facebook official, who near there that had been
for a K-1 visa. Malik praised the group in also spoke on condition of crushed in an apparent at-
“This is not a visa that someone would use because a post at 11 a.m. Wednes- anonymity because the tempt to destroy the infor-
it is easy to get into the US, because there are more day, when the couple were person was not allowed mation inside.
background checks on this type of visa than just believed to have stormed under corporate policy Farook had no criminal re-
about anything else,” said Palma Yanni, a Washing- a social service center and to be quoted by name, cord, and neither he nor
ton-based attorney who has processed dozens of opened fire. said the company discov- his wife was under scrutiny
K-1 visas. “But fingerprints and biometrics and names Malik and her husband, ered Wednesday’s post on by local or federal law en-
aren’t going to tell you what is in somebody’s head Syed Farook, died several Thursday, removed the pro- forcement before the at-
unless they somewhere have taken some action.” hours later in a gunbattle file from public view and tack, authorities said.
The shooting will undoubtedly have implications on with police. reported its contents to law Malik, 27, was a Pakistani
the debate over the Obama administration’s plans The IS-affiliated news ser- enforcement. who grew up in Saudi Ara-
to accept more Syrian refugees. The vetting process vice Aamaq called Malik Attorneys representing Fa- bia and came to the U.S. in
for refugees is similar, though not identical, to the one and Farook “supporters” rook’s family said Friday 2014 on a fiancée visa. Fa-
for fiance visa applicants. Republican lawmakers and of their cause but stopped that none of his family rook, a 28-year-old restau-
governors across the U.S., as well as advocates for short of claiming responsi- members had any indica- rant health inspector, was
stricter immigration enforcement, have challenged bility for the attack. tion either he or his wife born in Chicago to Paki-
the effectiveness of the vetting process. FBI Director James Comey held extremist views. stani parents and raised in
Refugees submit to in-person interviews overseas, would not discuss whether Attorneys for Farook’s fam- California.q
where they provide biographical details about them-
selves, including their families, friendships, social or
political activities, employment, phone numbers and
email accounts.
They provide biometric information, including finger-
prints. Syrians are subject to additional classified con-
trols.
Those who come to the U.S. on a fiance visa must
marry a U.S. citizen within 90 days or leave the coun-
try. Following the marriage, the immigrant becomes
a conditional resident for two years and must ask
the U.S. government to remove those conditions at
the end of that waiting period and undergo another
background check. If the request is approved, the im-
migrant receives a green card. Immigrants can ap-
ply to become U.S. citizens five years after winning a
green card.q