Print 
PDF
Sec. of State John Kerry told the audience at the Eid al-Fitr or "end of Ramadan" reception at our State Department this week, "Tonight I can announce proudly that we will meet President Obama's goal of welcoming 10,000 Syrian refugees to the United States in the current fiscal year."
Fiscal Year ends September 30.
Kerry said, "It's also representing a six-fold increase over what we did the year before."
Last year, the US welcomed 1,682 Syrian refugees.
Director of National Intelligence Director James Clapper has warned officials in the US, saying ISIS is "taking advantage of the torrent of migrants [entering Europe] to insert operatives into that flow."
Has our government vetted these refugees? Which communities will they settle into?
Clearly, 10,000 is a greater risk than 1,682.
The administration's plan got off to a slow start this year. By the end of January--one-third of the way through FY 2016---only 841 had been admitted.
In February, the State Department set up a special refugee "resettlement surge center" in Amman, Jordan. Officials say this greatly reduces the amount of time required to vet, or process the migrants---reducing the required time from 18 to 24 months to about 90 days.
The 90-day plan has greatly accelerated the "welcoming" process. For example, 114 were resettled in February, 330 in March, 251 in April, then a jump to 1,069 in May and 2,406 in June.
In the first 12 days of July, 280 Syrians have been admitted. The total for the fiscal year so far is 5,491.
Sec. Kerry told the folks at the end of Ramadan celebration, "Those are refugees, which is different from the normal process of migration and green-card and becoming a citizen and so forth. It's a very different category."
That's what has many concerned. It is a "different category."
America is a nation built and sustained by immigrants---immigrants who wanted to come to America, and to become a part of what America is and has been, to truly become "Americans."
While many of the Syrian Muslims, I'm sure, come here with the same aspirations.
However, there are those who do not. They come to kill us.
And our own officials have said they cannot be certain in their vetting process.
Dozens of GOP Governors are saying they will not allow Syrian refugees to settle in their states.
But can they stop the president? Will they even know where the federal government contractor busses are unloading the refugees?
The Lowell Massachusetts Sun newspaper is reporting that a 22-year-old Syrian refugee has been charged with groping a 13-year-old girl at a city swimming pool. He has been charged with indecent assault and battery and is being held with bail pending---he's set for trial July 29.
This crime against the young girl also brought to light another very troubling matter.
City Manager Kevin Murphy says he would like to receive regular numbers from the International Institute on how many refugees are being "resettled" into the community.
He says, "The city does not know when or where refugees come to Lowell" and "is only made aware of them through instances like this one."
This is not unique.
I've written about the issues in Twin Falls, Idaho.
About 100 Syrian refugees are being placed in Rutland, Vermont---socialist Bernie Sanders' hometown---and they are not getting a warm welcome.
The community was completely unaware that the refugees were being resettled into their town. When they found out refugees were being bussed in from a Middle Eastern hotbed of Sunni radicalism they were livid.
They packed the local library for an "informational" meeting after the resettlement became public knowledge.
Even the Boston Globe acknowledged the Rutland refugee placement was "developed in near secrecy" by the mayor and the government contractor.
There is an air of secrecy attached to Obama's "welcoming" plan for a couple of reasons.
First, it's clearly devoid of common sense---the kind of common sense the ordinary people in this country possess.
Secondly, it's seen as a vehicle to advance his far-Left progressive global agenda---and people don't trust him in regard to his relationship with Muslim countries.
David O'Brien, a Rutland resident, told the local news, "Something like relocating 100 refugees, especially from a very tough part of the world, war torn Syria, is something you would logically think you would have a discussion about."
This president isn't logical. He's obsessed with an agenda regardless of whether it is actually in the best interest of the country.
Our government is spending over a billion dollars annually on the resettlement program. Most of the billion plus dollars are flowing through a very, very small number of resettlement agencies.
Secretary of State John Kerry told those attending the Eid, or end of Ramadan dinner, that the "US will immediately be contributing another $439 million to help Syria refugees and internally displaced people."
"And," he said, this will be "in addition to the $5.1 billion...already provided."
The resettlement distribution of money is now about $1 billion per year.
A mix of Obama's agenda and a billion dollar prize for the agencies involved energizes this process and, I suppose, rationalizes the secrecy with which too much of the government's "humanitarian" work is being done---including busses quietly dropping of Muslim refugees in towns and cities across the country.
The Bible strongly calls all Christians to act out of compassion, and we have---and do.
No people group or country has done more in the history of the world for the needy people of the world than the Christians and Christian churches and Christian organizations in America.
We are called to give. To give much, and give often.
However, nowhere in Scripture are we directed to destroy our nation in the name of "Christian compassion," as Germany and other European nations are now doing.
And nowhere in Scripture are we called to knowingly put our children and families at risk in the way this administration is doing.
It's also bothersome to a number of Americans that there seems to be a calculated effort on the part of our own government and those with whom they are contracted, to avoid accepting Christian refugees.
It has been well documented that Christians are among the most persecuted in the Middle East---particularly in Syrian refugee camps. In fact, they are driven from the camps by Muslim refugees.
Some Republican lawmakers have called for more consideration of Christian refugees. So far they have been ignored.
Of the 5,491 refugees admitted to the US as of last Tuesday, only 20---0.39%--- are Christians.
When the war began in Syria in 2011, 10% of the country was Christian. Clearly, many Christians have fled and many have been killed, but no one believes 0.36% is representative of the number of Christians who are praying for the opportunity to come to America.
And the likelihood of them being a radicalized terrorist is less than 0.36%.
May God deliver us from evil.