Reply #18: re...

[StrafingMoose]

Maybe the CIA didn't, but the FBI did on this one. Anyways, what's odd is that Rahman was on a terror watchlist when he got his visa by the CIA in Sudan.

Under pressure at home, he moved to the United States in 1990 after receiving a visa at the U.S. embassy in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum—which, U.S. officials later said, was issued in error, since he was already on a watchlist of suspected terrorists.

The CIA had, according to an old NY Times article titled "C.I.A. Officers Played Role In Sheik Visas", received as much as 7 requests made by him, but turned him down only once.

Although he was widely known for his connection to the Sadat assassination, Mr. Abdel Rahman was not placed on a State Department watch list of those ineligible for entry to the United States until 1987. At least one and perhaps two of his visa applications were nevertheless approved by the C.I.A. officers even after he was added to that list of 2.7 million foreigners

...

American officials had acknowledged last week that the diplomat at the United States Embassy in Khartoum who signed the May 1990 visa request that allowed Mr. Abdel Rahman to enter the United States was in fact a C.I.A. officer.

...

Altogether, the officials said, it is clear that C.I.A. officers granted Mr. Abdel Rahman three visas, in Cairo in 1986 and 1987 and in Sudan in 1990.

Of course, both articles suggest the usual line about 'errors', 'mistakes' and 'failures'. But that's a hell lot of mistakes altough.

And 'diplomats' are also swapable for 'CIA officers' :P