# INS approves hijackers' visas! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 13, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ins-approves-hijackers-visas/97966 "2002-03-13T01:42:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ins-approves-hijackers-visas/97966/1 "2002-03-13T01:42:17Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/12/inv.flight.school.visas/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/03/12/inv.flight.school.visas/index.html) The gist of the story: On Monday, March 11 (the 6-month anniversary of the 9-11 hijackings) the flight school where Mohamed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi trained in Flordia received a letter from the INS, informing the flight school that Atta’s and Al-Shehhi’s visas had been approved. The postmark indicates the letter was mailed last week, but the visas were actually approved before Sept. 11. The INS appears to be mildly embarrassed by the little goof. “It’s a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.” Don’t you feel safer now? ---
**Author:** ![miamouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ins-approves-hijackers-visas/97966/2 "2002-03-13T02:21:15Z")
yeah, much.:mad: ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ins-approves-hijackers-visas/97966/3 "2002-03-13T18:50:53Z")
That agency seems to have had many problems over the years. Maybe the workload is too much. But with 9-11, it might be in an overhaul mode. What a SNAFU! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ins-approves-hijackers-visas/97966/4 "2002-03-14T19:51:59Z")
It no big deal since when it was approved, they were eligible. After they died, there was no reason to set a flag to prevent a mailing. It would be different is they were alive. It’s not like they even bothered to revoke the visas of the other dead terrorists.