b]U.S. agents to screen visas in five Muslim nations: Agents from

b]U.S. agents to screen visas in five Muslim nations: Agents from
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are to deploy at
U.S. embassies and consulates in five Muslim nations to oversee
visa issuance as part of a sweeping overhaul of immigration
procedures, officials said on Tuesday. DHS, which in August
stationed officials at US embassies and consulates in Saudi
Arabia, will early next year begin placing agents at missions in
Egypt, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,
they said. The countries were chosen because of the high volume
of visa requests they process and the presence of members of al-
Qaeda and other groups hostile to the United States on their
territory or in neighboring states, a DHS official said. "These
first officials and first postings will have regional
responsibilities" for visa oversight, said DHS spokesman Gordan
Johndroe. --AFP