US citizens of visa waiver countries may be denied entry

The State Department today rejected suggestions that some jihadists could have easy access to the United States because of US rules that do not require citizens of select countries to obtain a visa for US travel.

Questions about access to the US by extremists from so-called visa waiver countries arose this week following the sentencing of five Britons to life prison terms after their convictions in London in a terrorist bomb plot.

The ringleader was Omar Khyam, who is of Pakistani descent.

Britain is one of a number of friendly countries on the US visa waiver list.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters that residence in a visa waiver country does not necessarily guarantee access to the United States.

He said the government has a whole series of tools to stop “people of concern” who may want to travel to the United States. “We do what we can to make sure programme not abused by individuals.

We want to make sure that no one is slipping through,“ Casey said.

The five were convicted of plotting to attack the London targets with bombs made from a half-ton stockpile of fertiliser after a year-long trial.

Prosecutors and an FBI informant claimed the group was linked to al-Qaida leaders.