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Bad Judgment, labeling KDP, a close U.S. ally a
"terrorist" organization
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Bad Judgment, labeling KDP, a close U.S.
ally a "terrorist" organization
27.3.2008
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Labeling a close U.S. ally a terrorist organization,
Immigration leaves a dedicated Iraqi translator in
limbo.
March 27, 2008
It's hard to imagine a refugee from Iraqi Kurdistan
more deserving of residence in the United States
than Saman Kareem Ahmad. The 38-year-old Kurd lost
his family during Saddam Hussein's genocidal
chemical attack against his home town of Halabja in
1988; for the last several years, his de facto
family has been the U.S. Marine Corps, for which he
bravely served as a translator in Fallujah. Driven
out of Iraq by death threats in 2006, he was
admitted to the United States under a special visa
program for translators and granted asylum. He now
provides instruction for Marines headed to Iraq from
the base in Quantico.
Yet, as recounted by The Post's Karen DeYoung on
Sunday, Mr. Ahmad's application for permanent
residence in the United States was denied last month
by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. |
Saman Kareem Ahmad, (L), served with then-Capt.
Trent A. Gibson. Gibson backs Ahmad's application
for permanent U.S. residence |
The pretext was patently
absurd: Mr. Ahmad had once served in the militia of
the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), which USCIS
officials deemed an "undesignated terrorist
organization" because it had fought against the
Iraqi government -- the government, that is, of
Saddam Hussein. Left out of the USCIS calculations
were the facts that the KDP is one of the few
unambiguously pro-American forces in Iraq; that the
group does not appear on any U.S. government list of
terrorists; and that the KDP's military activities
against Saddam were encouraged and materially
supported by the United States.
The deputy director of Citizenship and Immigration
Services, Jonathan "Jock" Scharfen, acknowledges
that his agency's decision "does not appear to make
much common sense." Until recently, language in the
Immigration and Nationality Act virtually compelled
a finding that the KDP and similarly pro-American
organizations were "terrorists"; legislation
allowing such groups to be cleared was passed in
December,www.ekurd.net
but a review of the KDP
has not been completed. In the meantime, Mr.
Scharfen said, the case of Mr. Ahmad is "on hold."
But the homeland security secretary is empowered to
grant waivers to individuals; Secretary Michael
Chertoff should act immediately in this instance.
The larger story here concerns the Bush
administration's shoddy treatment of Iraqis who have
put their lives on the line to support U.S. forces
during the last five years. Only 50 visas per year
for Iraqi and Afghan translators were allocated
beginning in 2006; the number was increased to 500
for this fiscal year, but will revert to 50 in 2009,www.ekurd.net
even though 648
translators had applications pending as of December.
Not every Iraqi who has helped the United States
needs to be admitted to this country or be granted a
green card. But cases such as that of Mr. Ahmad
shame this country.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
washingtonpost com
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