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ARMENIAN IMMIGRANTS TARGETED ALONG WITH SAUDI ARABIAN AND PAKISTANI IMMIGRANTS

Politics

ANCA Calls On The Bush Administration To Explain New Regulation Requiring Registration of Armenian Citizens

In a deeply troubling development, the Republic of Armenia will be added to a list of countries whose non-immigrant male nationals over the age of 16 residing in the United States must register with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

After September 11, 2001, the INS began requiring nationals from designated countries believed to harbor terrorists to submit to this special registration process. These designated countries include: Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates , among others.

The news, however, of the Republic of Armenia being included into this group of nations has raised concerns for the Armenian community across the nation.

Anticipating an announcement, the ANCA and Armenian community leaders have expressed outrage at this decision by the INS and the Bush Administration, questioning why Armenia is being singled out and included on such a list . Armenia is the only former Soviet republic to be included as well as the only Christian country. Since the events on September 11, 2001, Armenia was one of the first countries to offer the United States its full cooperation in the War on Terrorism .

The ANCA issued a statement to be delivered to President George W. Bush calling on him to explain this sudden and inexplicable decision by the Administration, and to make public any information that may have led to the inclusion of Armenia on such a list.

The ANCA has also raised the issue of Azerbaijan's conspicuous absence form this list, given its record of harboring Al-Qaeda terrorists dating back to 1992 . Additionally, the Republic of Georgia , which has frequently been cited by the U.S. government as being a place of refuge for Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, is also absent from the INS list .