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“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” explores our dark history of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child

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HS Boys Basketball: Nanticoke holds off Dallas for 53-47 win

<p>In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, Americans have been rightly focused on national security issues and their concerns that a similar disaster could occur in this country.</p><p>From the moment we learned of the carnage in France, to the point at which it was confirmed, it looked clear that the assaults were the handiwork of the Islamic State, or ISIS. Most of us have recognized that we must behave as if we are at war with these Islamic extremists, because they are most assuredly at war with us. Since protecting the citizens is the primary responsibility of the federal government, I am pleased that we in the House have taken a good first step in tightening the security of the United States.</p><p>One of the attackers in the Paris terrorist assaults is believed to have entered the European Union through Greece as a Syrian refugee. The region is overrun with people fleeing the violence in their home country, as the dictator Bashar al-Assad ruthlessly holds onto power. As a nation, the United States has a proud tradition of taking in people who have nowhere else to turn, and those who are seeking to escape oppression and tyranny. This tragic situation presents an excruciating quandary for our government, however, as we suspect that the Islamic State will attempt to use the mayhem as cover for sneaking their sympathizers into America. We suspect this, not only because it would follow their pattern of taking advantage of chaos to further their goals, but because they have told us they will do so.</p><p>&#8220;American blood is the sweetest,&#8221; ISIS has told us. &#8220;And we will taste it soon.&#8221;</p><p>While I do not like to give much credit to such inhumane, treacherous villains, I do take them at their word on this occasion. There can be no doubt that killing Americans on our own soil would be a crowning achievement for them and their growing crowd of devoted followers.</p><p>As a Congress, we were faced with the question of what to do about the refugees and the president&#8217;s pledge to take in at least 10,000 from Syria. From my seat on the Homeland Security Committee, I have had the opportunity to speak directly with some of our best and most experienced national security experts, including two from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the secretary of Homeland Security himself. They have told me that properly vetting these refugees is a difficult challenge at best and nearly impossible at worst. Syria presents a particular problem, because our national policy is to overthrow Assad, and he most certainly will not cooperate in our attempts to screen the backgrounds of people escaping his rule.</p><p>Of those experts who sat before our committee and testified about our capabilities of vetting Syrian refugees, not one was willing to say that we had all of the tools and information at our disposal. The FBI does not have an office located in Syria, and does not have enough human collectors of intelligence or reliable partners to enlist to help gather data. And while we have heard that the vigorous screening process in the refugee program might take 18 to 24 months to complete, it is obvious that no vetting can truly occur if there is no background information to sift through.</p><p>In response, the House has passed the American SAFE Act, which requires comprehensive background checks of every refugee from Iraq or Syria before they can be admitted into the United States, plus certification that each does not pose a threat. No refugee from Iraq or Syria will be admitted into the U.S. unless the FBI director, the secretary of Homeland Security, and the director of National Intelligence all certify to Congress that each refugee is not a security threat to the United States. The DHS inspector general must also independently assess the refugee approvals, thus making sure that high-risk individuals do not slip through the cracks. I am hopeful that the Senate will follow the House&#8217;s lead and pass this bill, and place it on the president&#8217;s desk.</p><p>These are not the only improvements we need to make. Our visa waiver program, which allows citizens from 38 participating countries to enter the United States as temporary visitors for 90 days, is rife with problems. Foreign nationals from these countries may enter America without having to obtain a visa or undergo an in-person interview. Coupled with the lack of a bio-metric exit program for people who do arrive on a visa, this creates another large gap in national security measures. Nearly half of the people who are illegally in this country didn&#8217;t cross a border; they arrived on a visa, the visa expired, and they never went home. As a result, any state that is home to an international airport is effectively a border state.</p><p>This is not to say that we should turn our back to those who are truly fleeing violence and oppression in Syria. For those seeking a safe haven, we should provide just that: an area within the region established by a U.S.-led coalition of nations, enforced by a rigid no-fly zone. We should also provide any support or assistance required to allow for refugees to stay in Jordan or elsewhere in the Middle East.</p><p>I commend the Jordanians for their generosity and strongly support continued federal funding for refugees overseas. These strategies would help keep refugees closer to where they want to be: home.</p><p>Make no mistake, the Islamic State is not a traditional enemy, located in a geographically identifiable state with an army that wears a recognizable uniform. It is an ideology, and it has spread to more countries than ever before. As much as we may desire to help the refugees fleeing Syria as quickly as possible, we must be absolutely certain that we know who we are admitting. Think of it this way: If I gave you a bunch of 50 grapes, and told you that two might be poisoned, how many grapes would you eat?</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta</p><p>Contributing Columnist</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, of Hazleton, represents the 11th congressional district, which includes parts of Luzerne County and all or parts of eight other counties.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta: In Syrian refugee crisis, U.S. national security must come first