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Hi
The question of defectors, political asylum seekers
has to be looked at in the light of the following personal
observation:
1- Sanctions have created a tremendous economic
hard ship to all the people of Iraq. North, Central, and
South.
2- Medical and educational services were greatly
effected.
3- Sanctions have lasted much longer than any one
could imagine.
4- The above three have resulted in many many
people to seek a better life overseas.
5- Europe and the rest of the western world do not
accept economic immigration.
6- The easiest and probably the only way
open to those people was to seek political asylum in the west. The climate is
right.
7- To qualify for such status they invented
endless stories, produced forged documents, bribed immigration translators..
8- Even the immigration "detention" camps are more
comfortable than their "homes" plus the fact that they get paid more money in
the detention camps than they make at home. In fact some came back from
detention centers "rich"
9- Once their asylum is accepted they will have to
continue their "anti Saddam" rhetoric fearing that they may be asked to leave.
Remember what is happening to the Afghan refugees in Australia, After 5 years in
the detention center they are being kicked out because Taliban is no longer rule
Afghanistan !
10- Some political asylum seekers I know took
a leave from their government jobs left to Jordan leaving their families in a
government subsidized housing!. His family continued to occupy the house till
he obtained his political asylum. My friend claimed he did not know a
single English word (he is an engineer and studied 14 years of engilish) so they
had to get him a translator who was paid handsomely to direct and/or miss
translate my friend's claims. Some of them are accused of criminal charges,
like robbery, issuing checks with no fund....
11- My wife is a Kurdish doctor and we travel
each year to the north to see my in-laws. Each year I see less and less of
her extended family because they have taken political asylum in Europe. The
Question is: The Kurds have the safe heavens, the no fly zone, and are outside
the control of Saddam Hussein yet they are the most eager to immigrate( and
since that is impossible they apply for political asylum). I know that some EU
members do not grant political asylums to Kurds for that reason. A new trick
take a fake ID that they are from the south (Shia) and that will make you a
persecuted person!
12- Those high ranking intelligence officers as
well as the director of military intelligence service (the defectors) were the
instrument of the regime. It goes without say that they have participated one
way or the other in the persecution of innocent people they claim that Saddam
has killed. Instead of being questioned by the western authorities about the
crimes they committed, when they were serving the regime, they are presented to
us by the west as the champions of democracy, or is it dumb-cracy!
13- I am in no way defending the government and I
am in no way criticizing the asylum seekers they want the best for their
families. All I am saying is that take their stories with a "grain of
salt".
14- The west is free to believe in any thing they
want, distorting fact as they please in the end I have to decide, for
example, whether Ghallabi is a thief and embezzler of Al-Perta bank or he
is the LEADER of the western backed INC. If he is the BEST the west could offer
us then god help the west!
Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar
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