Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano dismissed a question “not worthy of an answer” by Rep. Jeff Duncan during a Capitol Hill hearing Thursday, who asked about the alleged deportation of a Saudi national who was questioned as a witness in the Boston bombings.
“We have someone who’s being deported due to national security concerns,” the South Carolina Republican said. “We’ve got this guy who was there, we know he was there…and yet we’re going to deport him? We’re going to remove him from the scene?”
“If I might, I am unaware of anyone who is being deported for national security concerns at all related to Boston,” Ms. Napolitano responded.
“He is being deported,” the representative said.
According to an exclusive report by Glenn Beck’s The Blaze, Napolitano said as she understood it, the man was not technically a person of interest or a suspect, and “this is is an example of why it is so important to let law enforcement do its job.”
“I want them to do their job,” Mr. Duncan said. “Wouldn’t you agree with me that it’s negligent for us as an American administration to deport someone who was reportedly at the scene of the bombing and we’re going to deport him, not to be able to question him anymore?”
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“I am not going to answer that question it is so full of misstatements and misapprehension that it’s just not worthy of an answer,” Ms. Napolitano fired back. “There’s been so much reported on this that’s been wrong I can’t even begin to tell you, congressman. We will provide you with accurate information as it becomes available.”
Appearing on “Hannity” Wednesday night, the Investigative Project on Terrorism’s Steve Emerson originally reported that the Saudi, Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi, is being deported on Tuesday. He based his information on a number of his confidential sources, The Blaze reports. Several other reports have since emerged that the decision to deport him may be walked back.
In an interview with Mr. Beck, Sen. Rand Paul reacted to the allegations by saying he will be “looking into” it.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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