This thread is hilarious. The program has gone from being a suspicious coincidence to being the result of government stupidity. Maybe, if we're lucky, tomorrow it will go back to what it really was: An attempt to lighten the direct load on US Government offices and (as explained by ~enigma~) an effort to reduce potential civilian casualties if said offices were attacked.
The more I read and think about the program, the less suspicious, and the less "dangerous," it seems. The only difference between getting the visa from one of the approved travel agencies and the US Consulate or Embassy is that an American citizen doesn't necessarily eyeball the person applying - unless our State Department employees are blessed with psychic powers, they'd be no more likely to deny a visa application at their office than they would a visa application submitted remotely. And, heck, said visa recipients would still have had to present their documents to US Customs personnel upon arrival to the US.