In New York a 16-year-old girl — who the government accused of being a would-be suicide bomber — has returned to her high school in East Harlem. Six weeks ago federal officials detained two 16-year-old girls–one from Guinea and one from Bangladesh. At the time the government claimed they were a ” imminent threat to the security of the United States.” For six weeks the government said little about their detentions despite a public outcry. The case was cloaked in secrecy. Hearings were closed to the public. FBI comments were sealed. And attorneys were barred from disclosing government information. But it now appears the government had no case at all and that the girls posed no threat. The New York Times reports the government released the girl from Guinea and she returned to school on Friday. Meanwhile the Bangladeshi girl remains in detention–but for immigration reasons, not national security. An immigration judge has ordered her and her parents to be deported.
Gov’t Drops Cases of 16-Year-Old “Would-Be Suicide Bombers”
HeadlineMay 10, 2005