Five Afghan Students Missing from U.S. Campus

Passport to Terror?

Three words — terror, terrorism and terrorists — came to mind after reading a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article about five visiting scholars from Kabul University inAfghanistan being reported missing from the University of Washington.  None of those words, however, appeared in the left-coast newspaper article, despite the fact that our nation is waging a war in Afghanistan as we speak.

According to the article, brilliant university officials think the students — who’ve been missing for more than a week — could be trying to remain in the country illegally. (Ya think?) Apparently, the opportunity to study public administration at UW — made possible through the Afghan eQuality Alliances, a program coordinated with the U.S.Agency for International Development — just wasn’t enough to hold their interest. (Perhaps some ADD medication would help.)

After reading that the students successfully underwent USAID background checks prior to being accepted into the program, I decided to see if I could find out what folks connected to the program had to say about those students now.

I contacted officials connected with the program at the university level, at USAID and at the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency charged with monitoring international students in this country.  Heck, I even contacted an Afghan student involved in the program.  Here’s a look at how those exchanges went:

• During a phone conversation this morning, USAID Press Officer Harry Edwards said his office was working on the matter and promised to provide answers soon.

• Program officials at Washington State University have yet to respond to my attempts to contact them.

• A call to to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Brandon Montgomery, netted cursory information and a promise of more to come.  The agency’s spokesperson on international affairs and student exchange and visitor programs, Montgomery told me his agency will begin investigating the matter as soon as officials at the university update the students’ information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).  Until the university bureaucrats act, apparently, the government bureaucrats cannot.

• Finally, I forwarded questions about the case to an Afghan student participating in the program after uncovering his e-mail address and personal web site on theAfghan eQuality Alliances web site.  Whether or not he has ties to any of the students or is willing to share information about the program remains to be seen, though I hold little hope that it will yield fruit.

My hope, of course, is that nothing bad will happen in connection with these missing students.  But for a major metropolitan newspaper to not even mention the possibility of them being involved in terrorism is inexcusable — or, more accurately, just politically correctness run amok.

From Bob McCarty:

More Details Surface on Missing Afghan Students

October 15th, 2008 · No Comments

Earlier today, I published a post about five Afghan students reported missing for more than a week from the campus of the University of Washington.  After contacting a variety of individuals and government agency representatives, I am now able to shed more light on the matter.

At 2:52 p.m. CDT, I received some answers to a set of questions I had sent to Dr. Maria Beebe, chief of party for Afghan eQuality Alliances at Washington State University.  She confirmed that the University of Washington is an alliance partner, despite the fact that the name of the school was not listed on the program’s website.

She also provided the names of the missing students.  They are as follows:

• Mohammed Ratib Abeer — Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan;
• Masood Ghory — English Instructor for the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission;
• Rahmatullah Hamidi — Scientific Member for Curriculum Development, Ministry of Education;
• Numan Tarin — Senior National Coach for the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission; and
• Sayed Hashmatullah — National Consultant for the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission.

Dr. Beebe said the students were reported “missing” to local police by Ken Peavler after they did not show up in class and their roommates verified that they had not shown up in their rooms.  As program manager at the Evans School of Public Affairs, Peavler’s duties include keeping track of the study-abroad students.

Of the 38 students selected for the program, only 32 remain after one returned home to Afghanistan to deal with a family matter.

Since the Afghan eQuality Alliances program is attracting a number of applicants (250 for the next batch for 36 slots), Dr. Beebe said, program officials can be more selective and add a criteria related to their current job titles.

“So, for example, we can say only directors and assistant director levels would be considered,” she explained.  “At that level, we will also get the older (more mature) students who have children and will have more compelling reasons to go back to Afghanistan.”

Apparently, at least five of the students were not old enough or not motivated enough to want to return.

I have yet to receive additional information from U.S. Agency for International Development or the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

* * *

UPDATE 10/15/08 4:12 p.m. CDT:  According to a Seattle Times article I just found, a total of seven Afghan scholars have vanished from UW this year.

Developing…

Links:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/383215_missing15.html http://bobmccarty.com/2008/10/15/five-afghan-students-missing-from-us-campus/