VISAs

Original post date:
Monday, April 09, 2007

I found out one of our translators was severely injured on her way to Jordan. Early reports is she was involved in an auto-mobile accident with a military convoy. She was the only one to survived the accident. She has helped the US for many years. Now, this is how the US repaid her, by causing the accident. She wanted to go to the US and the Air Force was stalling her VISA. This was the reason she went on her trip. She was trying to get a VISA through Jordan.

This was the first time I looked at the Iraqi Body Count as more than a number. I realized that basically everyone in Baghdad knew someone that was wounded or killed in the last 4 years. I wonder how many Iraqis have wounded like our translator. I am not saying all of them are directly caused by the US, most of them are caused by Islamic radicals. However, if it wasn't for the US, this chaos would have not been happening in Iraq. This country needs help. There are so many threats out there a normal for a normal Iraqi. They could die from Shia radicals, former Baath party members, Sunni extremists, Al Qaeda, Hizbollah, Hamas, just criminals (Saddam let out over 200,000 dangerous criminals when we invaded), or a speeding military convoy.

There is another Iraqi Translator named "MJ". When we found out about our friend, I asked what he felt about the us in Iraq. MJ still supports it and knows the US means well. It wasn't the first time I talked to him about this whole situation. I really don't see how MJ can still help the US, with all the threats made against him from terrorists. I don't know how he does it. He is younger than me and when I first talk to him, I thought he was older. I guess four years of war will quickly mature someone. When I talk to MJ, it makes me have hope that Iraq will have a brighter future.