Keeping
Americans
Safe
from
ISIS
Dear
Friend,
This
week,
I urged
President
Obama to
ensure
no
refugee
related
to
the
Syrian
crisis
is
admitted
to
our
country
unless
the
U.S.
government
can
guarantee,
with
100
percent
assurance,
that
they
are
not
affiliated
with
ISIS.
A
copy
of
the
letter
is
below.
Sincerely,
Senator
Mark
Kirk
Dear
Mr.
President:
We
stand
in
solidarity
with
the
people
of
France
and
against
the
terrorists
who
carried
out
the
horrific
attacks
of
November
13th
that
clearly
were
designed
deliberately
to
kill
as
many
innocent
people
as
possible.
Our
thoughts
and
prayers
are
with
the
victims
and
their
families.
As
we
mourn
the
loss
of
life
and
provide
France
all
the
support
and
assistance
it
needs,
the
U.S.
government
must
redouble
its
efforts
to
keep
the
American
people
safe.
We
believe
that
an
essential
component
of
that
effort
is
ensuring
that
no
refugee
related
to
the
Syrian
crisis
is
admitted
to
the
United
States
unless
the
U.S.
government
can
guarantee,
with
100
percent
assurance,
that
they
are
not
members,
supporters,
or
sympathizers
of
the
so-called
Islamic
State
of
Iraq
and
Syria
(ISIS),
also
known
as
Daesh
or
ISIL.
It
is
already
clear
that
ISIS
is
responsible
for
the
barbaric
attacks.
Reports
indicate
that
at
least
one
of
the
attackers
apparently
utilized
the
flow
of
refugees
to
infiltrate
into
Europe.
These
facts
require
a
serious
and
objective
reexamination
of
the
Administrations
policy
toward
Syrian
refugees
to
avoid
unnecessary
risks.
While
our
country
has
a
long
history
of
welcoming
refugees
and
has
an
important
role
to
play
in
the
heartbreaking
Syrian
refugee
crisis,
our
first
and
most
important
priority
must
be
to
ensure
that
any
refugee
who
comes
to
the
United
States
does
not
present
a
threat
to
the
American
people.
Compassion
for
Syrian
refugees
is
important,
but
a
fierce
determination
to
protect
the
American
people
is
also
important.
The
fact
that
ISIS
may
have
utilized
the
flow
of
refugees
to
infiltrate
Europe
and
potentially
the
United
States
is
not
a
surprise.
In
September,
the
Director
of
National
Intelligence
(DNI),
James
Clapper,
publicly
warned
the
U.S.
intelligence
community
has
a
huge
concern
that
ISIS
may
seek
to
infiltrate
Syrian
refugees
who
are
flowing
into
Europe
and
potentially
the
United
States.
As
they
[refugees]
descend
on
Europe,
one
of
the
obvious
issues
that
we
worry
about,
and
in
turn
as
we
bring
refugees
into
this
country,
is
exactly
whats
their
background?
DNI
Clapper
added:
We
dont
obviously
put
it
past
the
likes
of
ISIL
to
infiltrate
operatives
among
these
refugees.
On
October
21,
2015,
Federal
Bureau
of
Investigation
(FBI)
Director
James
Comey
told
the
House
Committee
on
Homeland
Security
that
the
U.S.
government
may
not
have
the
ability
to
vet
thoroughly
all
Syrian
refugees
coming
into
the
United
States.
He
explained
that
if
a
Syrian
person
is
not
already
in
the
FBIs
database,
that
person
is
unknown
to
the
agency,
leaving
an
inadequate
basis
for
the
persons
background
to
be
screened
for
terrorism
risk.
We
can
only
query
against
that
which
we
have
collected,
Director
Comey
cautioned.
He
also
said,
So
if
someone
has
never
made
a
ripple
in
the
pond
in
Syria
in
a
way
that
would
get
their
identity
or
their
interest
reflected
in
our
database,
we
can
query
our
database
until
the
cows
come
home
but
we
are
not
going
tothere
will
be
nothing
because
we
have
no
record
on
that
person.
Given
DNI
Clappers
stated
concern
that
ISIS
may
try
to
infiltrate
Syrian
refugee
movements
as
well
as
FBI
Director
Comeys
public
acknowledgment
of
the
U.S.
governments
limitations
in
thoroughly
vetting
all
Syrian
refugees,
we
respectfully
request
your
Administration:
- List
comprehensively
the
challenges,
prior
to
the
November
13th
terrorist
attacks,
in
the
process
for
checking
the
background
of
Syrian
refugees
and
checking
potential
risks
to
national
security,
including
potential
terrorism
risks;
- Detail
what
special
or
enhanced
measures
will
be
added
to
the
screening
process
for
Syrian
refugees
in
the
aftermath
of
the
November
13th
terrorist
attacks;
and
- Describe
how
it
plans
to
address
the
vetting
challenges
that
Director
Comey
describes.
We
ask
that
your
Administration
immediately
share
this
information
with
the
American
people.
We
look
forward
to
a
timely
response.
We
cannot
imagine
a
more
urgent
or
higher
priority.
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