Exclusive: Pentagon raises alarm about sharp drop in Iraqi refugees coming to U.S.
Source: Reuters
AUGUST 20, 2018 / 11:27 AM / UPDATED 31 MINUTES AGO
Yeganeh Torbati
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Military officials are sounding the alarm inside the Trump administration about the sharp drop in admission to the United States of Iraqi refugees who have helped American troops in battle, said two U.S. officials aware of the internal discussions.
The Pentagon is concerned that not providing safe haven to more of the Iraqis, many of whom interpreted and did other key tasks for U.S. forces, will harm national security by dissuading locals from cooperating with the United States in Iraq and other conflict zones, the officials said.
In a closed-door White House meeting last week devoted to the Iraqi issue, officials focused largely on the Federal Bureau of Investigations method of conducting certain deep background checks on the Iraqis, and identified it as a major source of the drop in admissions, said the two officials aware of the discussions, who declined to be named.
As of Aug. 15, just 48 Iraqis have been admitted to the United States this fiscal year through a special refugee program meant for people who worked for the U.S. government or American contractors, news media or non-governmental groups, according to data provided by the State Department. More than 3,000 came last year and about 5,100 in 2016.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-refugees-iraq-exclusi/exclusive-pentagon-raises-alarm-about-sharp-drop-in-iraqi-refugees-coming-to-u-s-idUSKCN1L51N9
TeamPooka
(24,228 posts)avebury
(10,952 posts)think that Trump cares about? Their function in President Prinkley Pant's world is to act as canon fodder and perform military parades of worship to Trump.
elmac
(4,642 posts)not to trust anything the US says, nor help the US in any way. The US is out of control, is no longer a beacon of freedom, we have become the evil empire.
sinkingfeeling
(51,457 posts)They intend to privatize the military anyway.
BumRushDaShow
(129,068 posts)after which hundreds were detained until a court ordered a cessation of that mess... And then someone knocked someone upside the head to tell them that we still have troops there and then he signed a second ban excluding Iraq, which itself was put on hold by the courts, until a 3rd version was upheld by the SCOTUS.
So after all that, would you try to come here now?