Two Egyptian students enrolled at the University of South Florida, Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed (photo left) and Youssef Samir Megahed (photo right), have been indicted for transporting explosive material across state lines. Mohamed, 24, who was working as a teaching assistant at the university, has also been charged with teaching Megahed, 21, how to use the explosives for violent reason. 

The Investigative Project on Terrorism reports that "according to officials familiar with the case, Mohamed has been arrested previously in Egypt on terrorism-related charges."

The Associated Press reports that both men were in the country "legally on student visas," according to US officials. Which raises the question, how did Mohamed get a student visa to come to American if he'd already been arrested in Egypt on terrorism charges?

Why Does the US State Department Refuse to Answer Important Questions?  

I called Maura Harty's office (photo left) at the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs and asked how an Egyptian national with a terrorism-related arrest record could have obtained a US student visa "legally." Harty's office did not have an immediate answer for me, but informed me they would get back to me as soon as they had one.

Ten minutes later, State Department official Chris Richards was kind enough to call — but offered no official comment on the record. Richards promised he'd see what he could find out and would get back to me after the long weekend. 

I may be waiting for a while. Three months ago, while I was writing "Ticket to an American University of Ticket to Paradise? The Mysterious Case of Anwar Al—" I called Maura Harty's office at the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs and asked how a Saudi national whose name appears on the no-fly list could have obtained a US student visa "legally." Despite repeated promises for an answer, I am still waiting.  

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