The CIA visa fraud that preceded 911

I once oversaw the visa section at the CIA’s consulate in Jeddah, the main city of the Hejaz region in western Saudi Arabia. For a year and a half, I issued visas to individuals who were recruited by the CIA, including those connected to Osama bin Laden. At the time, I believed it was simply visa fraud, with bribes of $2,500 being paid to State Department officials. I was instructed by senior State Department officials to issue the visas, keep quiet, and do my job without asking questions.

It wasn’t like these individuals were visiting family in the U.S.; their reasons for travel were vague, suspicious. One day, two Pakistanis approached me, claiming they wanted to attend a trade show in America. When I asked which trade show and where it was being held, they had no answers. After asking a few more questions, I denied their visas. They hadn’t convinced me they had legitimate business in the U.S. or any intention of returning home.

Not long after, I received a phone call from a CIA case officer assigned to the commercial section, urging me to issue the visas. I refused again. He insisted it was important they receive the visas, but I stood my ground.

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