Thursday November 1, 2001

WASHINGTON - The government tightened its immigration policies yesterday, promising to use more extensive background checks and better intelligence-sharing to keep out any supporters of 46 terrorist groups.

"America will not allow terrorists to use our hospitality as a weapon against us," Attorney General John Ashcroft said as he warned that even people who endorse terrorism will be kept outside U.S. borders or deported.

The attorney general said he was creating a new foreign terrorist tracking task force headed by a veteran FBI official that will foster better coordination between intelligence, law enforcement and immigration officials.

He asked the State Department to designate 46 terrorist organizations whose members or supporters won't be permitted to enter the country.

And he promised the government will delve more deeply into the backgrounds of people seeking visitor visas and will turn the information over to the CIA and FBI for further investigation before issuing permission to enter.

"This is clear authority that strengthens our ability to say to terrorists, you're not welcome in the United States," Ashcroft said.

The announcement came as FBI agents struggled to find the source of the deadly anthrax that has killed four Americans, infected others and slowed the nation's mail system. Ashcroft acknowledged investigators aren't close to making arrests.

"I'm not in a position to be able to say to you that we are on the brink of making an announcement here. We don't have progress to report at this time," the attorney general said.

Thomas J. Pickard, who has been overseeing the FBI investigations of the anthrax mailings and the Sept. 11 attacks, announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of November. The FBI did not provide details about why he was leaving or what his future plans are.

The sudden tightening of immigration polices came amid growing criticism contending terrorists can enter the country too easily. The State Department said Wednesday that 15 of the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks applied for visas in Saudi Arabia.

Their names were checked against lists of suspected terrorists; six were interviewed and all were granted visas, officials said.

"The president has directed that agencies cooperate to better identify potential terrorists, to better identify applicants coming to the United States, to better track them, to better know whether they show up at the places they were supposed to show up in terms of schooling, and we're part of that interagency effort," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

The task force will be charged with denying entry to members or representatives of terrorist organizations and immigrants who are suspected of having engaged in terrorist activities or having provided support.

Under new rules, immigration authorities can bar members of political or social groups that endorse terrorist activities from entering the U.S. People who use their prominence to endorse terrorism can also be barred and anyone certified by the attorney general as a threat to national security can be denied entry.

"We will detain, prosecute and deport terrorist aliens who are already inside the national border," Ashcroft said.

He said the task force will be headed by Steven C. McCraw, the deputy assistant director of the intelligence branch of the FBI's Investigative Services Division.

Immigration Commissioner James Ziglar said the task force will provide immigration officials with "real time access to information" that will enable them to keep suspected terrorists out of the country.

"We're not talking about immigration," he said. "We're talking about evil."

Ashcroft said the 46 groups include those linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, those whose assets have been frozen by presidential order and others who U.S. authorities have determined have engaged in terrorist activities.

All 46 groups have been previously identified by the administration in various orders and reports. The new designations will bring their members and supporters under the provisions of the new anti-terrorism law enacted by Congress.