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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCNN interview: ISIS captured 5000 blank Syrian passports in Raqqa
Last edited Tue Nov 17, 2015, 10:38 AM - Edit history (4)
A Syrian who is resettled in France was being interviewed there, saying that it is easy to obtain a Syrian passport, that whatever a person states as his name is put on the document no questions asked. It's simply a matter of paying several hundred Euros according to the witness.
Just as the interview was ending, he said "That isn't the worst thing though. I want to say something very important that no one has reported". He went on to say that when ISIS captured Raqqa, it got 5000 blank Syrian passports.
5000. 5000 that ISIS can fill out any way it wishes. I'd say that's a relevant fact. I wonder why it hasn't been reported before. Surely the major players know about it.
(The interview was on between 3 am and 3:30 am EST. I want to see whether CNN reairs it in a while but if it doesn't, it's at least worth a post here.)
Edit to add: I didn't know who the interviewer was at first but I saw her on camera again -- it was Hala Gorani.
Edit again to correct number: not 500, but 5000
Response to Waiting For Everyman (Original post)
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Waiting For Everyman
(9,385 posts)I'm glad you saw it too.
Turborama
(22,109 posts)Refugees/asylum seekers don't tend to go though immigration checks, and if they do they are carefully scrutinised.
Response to Turborama (Reply #2)
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Turborama
(22,109 posts)Response to Turborama (Reply #4)
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Turborama
(22,109 posts)And my previous comment is endorsed by that Guardian article.
Response to Turborama (Reply #6)
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Turborama
(22,109 posts)Response to Turborama (Reply #8)
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Turborama
(22,109 posts)Response to Turborama (Reply #11)
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Turborama
(22,109 posts)Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)You detect counterfeit documents by looking for the details the forger gets wrong.
You can't do that when they get their hands on the real thing and simply put a made up name and date of birth. Because it's a real base document it's undetectable as a fraud.
The only detection possible is if the Syrian government knows the serial number range of the bad documents and they tell other nations. They may know that information, but why would Assad share it with countries trying to remove him from power? It's in his best interest that more of these people leave Syria.
The only other defense is to have customs in every country check with Syrian officials in real-time as they inspect every passport- but once again, why would Assad ever cooperate with that?
Turborama
(22,109 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)no one at any border point/ boarding point would pass a fake passport.
The problem is- in many countries, Egypt included everyone accepts bribes and workers are very easy to threaten/bribe.
Turborama
(22,109 posts)But when we're talking about them getting into Europe or the US with stricter border controls their game will be up.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)walk over Canadian border. To spread fear of "refugees" , fear of Hispanics or some religion is so freaking wrong of Republicans.
I can understand the "Internet culture shock" many Americans have because they are isolated from the rest of the world. Many Americans do "self-segregate" by class/religion/race
and republicans are wrong to use that 'self-segregation' to spread FEAR or we will end up a country with millions of tiny, Walled neighborhoods, everyone afraid of each other.
Lee-Lee
(6,324 posts)Only the name and date of birth are fake.
Since there is no way that Syria has real-time database links with every nations immigration agencies there is no way to tell if the information on them is legitimate or made up.
Turborama
(22,109 posts)These are processed by forgers, with fake details. Hence why they are fakes.
ISIS really screwed up lol! They got their hands on a bunch of fakes that are easily detectable... for what? haha. Who cares! The word fake is thrown out so it means they can't be used... why would ISIS even want them in the first place?
Turborama
(22,109 posts)Last edited Tue Nov 17, 2015, 11:30 PM - Edit history (1)
Do we even know that they really have them?
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)not much left to loot in that place. Is even "claimed capture" a plane in Ragga, here's a photo. (posted below)
It's todays media that makes some people think "capture" of some passport forms or a hunk of junk "Jet" means 5,000 IS are arriving soon by Jet.