By Jim Kouri
Thursday, January 18, 2007
A convicted felon who attempted to establish an Al Qaeda terrorist training facility in Oregon will be deported in the coming days.
Semi Osman, 35, a native of Sierra Leone, was ordered deported by Immigration Judge Kenneth Josephson last Friday. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officers, last week ICE prevailed in its legal effort to obtain a deportation order for this convicted felon who was actively involved in creating a terrorist training camp in south-central Oregon.
A former resident of Tacoma and Bly, Oregon, Osman, first caught the attention of authorities in December 1999 when a police officer stopped his vehicle near because of a malfunctioning brake light.
Two passengers in the vehicle were later identified as members of Al Qaeda who were visiting Oregon with Osman as their host. A federal investigation led to the arrest of Osman on immigration and firearms violations.
He was subsequently convicted of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He also entered into a fraudulent marriage to obtain a "green card."
After serving time in federal prison on the firearms charge, Osman was later convicted of sexual abuse of a 10-year-old child and served time in the Walla Walla State Penitentiary. Following his release, he was required to register as a sex offender.
"ICE will not stand by and allow the United States to become a haven for those who put the safety of our citizens at risk," said Dorothy Stefan, Chief Counsel for ICE in Seattle. "Those who are convicted of serious crimes are not welcome in this country."
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2024 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2024 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement