Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has granted Saudi Arabia preferred
status in air travel.

The Investigative Project on Terrorism asserted that the administration
of President Barack Obama has approved plans to grant favored status to
Saudi air travelers. IPT, which has briefed Congress and the U.S. law
enforcement community, said the Homeland Security Department deemed
Saudis “trusted traveler.”

Rep. Frank Wolf, a leading House Republican, has expressed concern over
the U.S. agreement with Riyad. Wolf pointed out that Al Qaida’s suicide air attacks on New York and Washington in 2001 were conducted by 15 Saudis. As late as 2009, Saudi Arabia was on a list of 14 countries targeted for enhanced scrutiny by U.S. customs and immigration authorities.

“I think you have radical Wahabism in certain elements in Saudi Arabia,
and I think to be more lenient there than in other places would be a
mistake,” Wolf said. “There were 15 [hijackers] from that country, and there is a lot taking place in that region.”

In January, the Homeland Security Department reached agreement to include Saudi Arabia into the Global Entry Trusted Traveler program. The
U.S. department reached a similar accord with Israel in May 2012, but the
program has not yet been implemented.

“Travelers approved for the program can skip the normal Customs and
Border Protection lines starting next year and enter the country after
providing their passports and fingerprints at a kiosk,” IPT said. “Only
Canada, Mexico, South Korea and the Netherlands currently enjoy the benefit,
although pilot programs could expand it to a handful of others.”

The agreement would also allow the Saudi Interior Ministry to decide
eligibility for fast-tracked entry to the United States. Critics said this
would enable Riyad to prevent dissidents from traveling to the United
States.

“More recently, following the plot to blow up an international flight
over Detroit in 2009, the [Homeland Security] Department saw fit to increase
scrutiny for passengers coming from countries like Saudi Arabia,” House
Homeland Security Committee chairman Michael McCaul said in a letter to
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. “This must be a factor in
determining who to admit into the Global Entry program.”

“It’s not known whether the Saudi ministry will share its raw
intelligence about applicants with its American counterparts,” IPT said.

“What is known, based on information provided by a Homeland Security source,
is that each individual who makes it into the program will have been vetted
by both the CBP and by the Saudi Interior Ministry against various data
bases.”

Wolf said Saudi Arabia has refused to share counter-insurgency data with
Washington. He recalled the FBI’s failed efforts to investigate the 1996
bombing of the Khobar Tower in Saudi Arabia.

“I think there has been a history of not cooperating,” Wolf said.

  Global Entry, Homeland Security Department, Janet Napolitano, Obama approves ‘trusted traveler’ status for Saudis, Rep. Frank Wolf, Rep. Michael McCaul