Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Yahya Wehelie (photo: Ben Curtis, Associated Press)
After being denied re-entry into the United States for two months, Yahya Wehelie finally has been allowed to return to Virginia. The U.S.-born citizen of Somali parents spent 18 months in Yemen to learn Arabic and find a wife before winding up stuck in Egypt because the FBI prevented him from boarding the final leg of return flight in May. At that time, Wehelie was told his name had been placed on the government’s no-fly list that’s designed to keep potential threats from entering the U.S.
Wehelie said the government never explained why his name was placed on the list, nor did they tell why they changed their mind about him flying back to the states. He told the Associated Press he’s not angry—just relieved to be heading home. “I’m not angry at all. I know who I am and I knew eventually I would go home,” he said. “They’re trying to find the bad people, so more power to them.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Va. Man Stuck in Egypt after Yemen Travels Landed Him On No-Fly List Returning to US Friday (by Matthew Barakat, Associated Press)
U.S.-Born Citizen Blocked by Obama Administration from Returning to U.S. (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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