June 9, 2004

South Africa passports sold to al-Qaeda

Distressing news from South Africa as reported by the SA News24 website: bq. SA passports sold to al-Qaeda Members of al-Qaeda arrested with copies of South African passports must have bought the documents from corrupt home affairs officials, Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Tuesday. Last month police commissioner Jackie Selebi said arrests made in South Africa five days before the elections had led to the arrests of al-Qaeda suspects internationally. "In part of this operation, in London, the British police found boxes and boxes of South African passports in the home of one of these people... ," Selebi told parliament's portfolio committee on safety and security last month. It's one thing to be corrupt but didn't these government officials ever think about who they were dealing with? Sheesh! Posted by DaveH at June 9, 2004 1:37 PM