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