Iraqi lawmakers protest ‘humiliating’ treatment by U.S.
Iraqi lawmakers protest ‘humiliating’ treatment by U.S.
The LA Times reports that “[d]ozens of Iraqi lawmakers walked out of parliament Wednesday to protest what they view as overly aggressive and humiliating treatment by U.S. soldiers when representatives enter Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, where the legislature is located:
“I and many of my colleagues who live outside the Green Zone face a lot of problems,” said Feryad Rawandozi, a high-ranking official with the Kurdish parliamentary bloc. U.S. soldiers “are very arrogant and impolite when they talk to us, especially with those who don’t speak English.”
Legislators, like everyone else entering the Green Zone, must submit to a gauntlet of physical searches, and allow their vehicles to be inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs. They must line up with the throngs of other residents and employees seeking to enter the area, which is also headquarters to U.S. operations in Iraq. The process can take up to two hours.
“If we come off as aggressive, it might be a cultural thing,” claimed Army Maj. Anton Alston, a spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq.
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It’s clearly the Iraqis own fault, for looking so much like each other.
November 29th, 2007 at 3:37 pmThey walked OUT of parliment to protest what a pain it is to get IN? Now they’ll just have to go through security again.
November 29th, 2007 at 3:40 pmI wonder what the reaction would be from our own elected Senators and Representatives if they had to wait for up to two hours to enter the Capitol area, have to deal with arrogant and impolite soldiers who didn’t speak their language, have their vehicles inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs, and have to submit to physical searches.
Why, I bet they would cheer and celebrate their “freedom” and “liberation”!
November 29th, 2007 at 3:41 pm“If we come off as aggressive, it might be a cultural thing,†claimed Army Maj. Anton Alston, a spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq.
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Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to learn a little about the culture of the country we are occupying?
November 29th, 2007 at 3:42 pm“Legislators, like everyone else entering the Green Zone, must submit to a gauntlet of physical searches, and allow their vehicles to be inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs…etc”
November 29th, 2007 at 3:54 pm- - Significance is a goal and a curse, eh Iraqis?
No wonder they don’t show up every day!
November 29th, 2007 at 3:59 pmI have to defend the rank-and-file soldiers and marines who perform the security function. I’m sure they’re EXTREMELY gun-shy after spending months and years in a warzone, which makes them hyper-vigilant and possible aggressive (defensive, really).
Perhaps the lawmakers could meet outside of the green zone and bypass all the hassles.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:02 pmThey walked OUT of parliment to protest what a pain it is to get IN? Now they’ll just have to go through security again.
Comment by Menehune
All they need is there ticket stub and a hand stamp, and they can get back in without a hassle.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:04 pmEventually, something is going to snap in Iraq. With the exodus of those not willing to get involved, those remaining probably aren’t willing to put up with much more crap from their occupier. Oppressed people are very crafty and hold big time grudges. US complacency at this point - as evidenced by the WH’s tacit admission of the fact that they don’t have, and never have had, a clue as to what we are doing in Iraq - is a very big mistake. Let’s hope our dumbed-down Brass remembers the lesson of the Tet offensive.
BTW: “Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone.” Is that all we hold? The Green Zone? Is that what all of the killing has been about?
sheesh.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:05 pmAggressive certainly is our culture.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:07 pmWell, they should just pass a law requiring a timetable for our withdrawl… oh wait, they already did.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:18 pmMaybe they were going out to get the flowers and candy to throw at the soldiers feet?
November 29th, 2007 at 4:18 pmWhen they say “U.S. soldiers” — are they talking about members of the actual U.S. Army or other armed forces? Or are they talking about Blackwater contracted personnel — you know, the ones we hired for “security”?
November 29th, 2007 at 4:19 pmI lived off of the economy in Germany for about two years, on assignment from a US corporation. During that time, I had access to US bases because my children opted for military ELHI (For PT conferences) instead of the German schools and I was a Scout leader on-base. The sentrys still scanned the underside and opened the trunk and hood of my car and checked all IDs whenever I entered a base. My son was dating a base commander’s daughter and that required Jeep escorts.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:47 pmMy European scientist colleagues say that they are treated like common criminals when passing through immigration to visit the U.S. Many of them have either reduced or eliminated their travels to the U.S. because of the rude, arrogant treatment given them by the dumb jackasses working for the immigration service. This attitude flows from the top, from our swaggering, smirking President and his Mayberry Machiavelli political appointees.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:52 pmBut the RNC representatives that troll here have been telling us how peaceful things are in Iraq. Why the need for the ultra-heavy security?
November 29th, 2007 at 4:54 pmAin’t USofA imperial occupation of Eye-rack wonderful? It kinda warms the cockles of fascists everywhere…
November 29th, 2007 at 4:57 pmMany of them have either reduced or eliminated their travels to the U.S. because of the rude, arrogant treatment given them by the dumb jackasses working for the immigration service.
Comment by VerbalKint
I hear that a lot from European business people too. There are plenty of choices for them to make about where to go. They are not going to put up with the disrespect here in US when there are other destinations available to them. Most are settling on conference calling as a means to avoid the facist states of Americkkka.
November 29th, 2007 at 5:02 pmOK. I can understand that the Green Zone is a very likely target for violence and they have to be careful. But here we have the legislators for the very country that we’re supposed to be fostering democracy in.
Could we not give them some sort of positive ID and then have a special line for them ?
When one of our legislators goes somewhere, we expect the other country to totally suspend any sort of reasonable procedure to accomodate us.
November 29th, 2007 at 5:40 pmWhen one of our legislators goes somewhere, we expect the other country to totally suspend any sort of reasonable procedure to accomodate us.
Comment by MapleStreet — November 29, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
Maybe the legislators should be treated exactly like every other citizen would be.
Up to cavity searches, if needed.
November 29th, 2007 at 6:09 pmThere used to be a term for this: The Ugly American.
November 29th, 2007 at 7:57 pmAmericans are seen as arrogant all over the world, why would our soldiers be any different. My brother served over there and he would just complain how dumb and dirty the people were. The liberator.
November 29th, 2007 at 7:59 pmI wonder why they do not move Parliament out of the Green Zone?
November 30th, 2007 at 2:47 am“If we come off as aggressive, it might be a cultural thing,†claimed Army Maj. Anton Alston, a spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq.
It MIGHT be a cultural thing? He doesn’t know? I knew the poly-ticks didn’t have a clue what the people were like over there, but I held out hope that someone in the military admin knew what the hell they were doing. It’s a miracle that the war isn’t a total disaster…. oh wait…
November 30th, 2007 at 10:28 am