Rice waives law to allow Myanmar refugees into US

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has waived a law to make Myanmar refugees, almost all of whom back an armed group fighting the Yangon military junta, eligible for resettlement into the United States, the State Department said.

With the waiver, some 9,300 ethnic Karen refugees housed in Tham Hin camp in Thailand along the Myanmar border and who backed the Karen National Union (KNU) will no longer be viewed as terrorism supporters, officials said.

Under US law, people who provide material support to terrorist organizations are not eligible to immigrate into the United States.

One provision defines terrorist organization as any group of two or more people who bear arms with the intent to endanger the safety of any individual.

Yahoo

[acmejack]

1. These people really like to waive, ignore, void, table, shelve,

vacate, render moot, and otherwise invalidate duly enacted laws of the land don't they?

[Toucano]

2. What gives her this authority to "waive" a law

duly passed by Congress and signed by the president?

[NYC]

8. That was my question.

The headline says: Rice waives law...

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

11. The Immigration and Nationality Act

The government has the authority to grant a waiver, but I think this may be the first time it's been exercised. Coleman and Leahy actually proposed an amendment to the Act because Bushco's incompetence in figuring out how to grant a waiver for these particular refugees. I guess they sorted it out.

[Toucano]

18. Thank you for the answer. Is that authority vested solely in the

Secretary of State?

[Erika]

3. The W administration does what it wants to do

They have no respect for the rule of law. In their minds, they are the law.

[TomClash]

7. Don't you know?

The Oath of Office is now to "faithfully ignore the laws of the United States." It's a Bush-speak, Orwellian world.

[One Honest Guy]

4. Well that's nice.

"Under US law, people who provide material support to terrorist organizations are not eligible to immigrate into the United States."

Once you understand that only applies to Muslims and communists, everything becomes clearer.

As a good friend of my says often when talking to christofascists: "Where's your enlightenment now?!"

[rodeodance]

5. I think Bush visited this poor country last year-wanted to instill democra

y. But why the interest? My memory is vague

[rodeodance]

6. oik

does not say how much


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar#Economy

.....The United Nations lists Myanmar as a LDC3 (least developed country). Tourism is being encouraged by the government; however, fewer than 750,000 tourists enter the country yearly. Private enterprises are often co-owned or indirectly owned by the Tatmadaw. In recent years, both China and India have attempted to strengthen ties with the government because of Myanmar’s oil reserves.

Some nations, such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, have placed trade sanctions on Myanmar. Foreign investment comes primarily from China, Singapore and Thailand.

[NYC]

9. You found the answer to everything:

...because of Myanmar’s oil reserves.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

12. I don't know about that.

This move has a lot of bipartisan support, and it certainly isn't going to endear the administration to the government of Myanmar, or whatever the hell Burma is called this week.

[NYC]

13. Whatever it is, the U.S. actions must revolve around the oil.

Will the "expatriots" of Myanmar be the new Ahmed Chalabi?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

14. ::sigh::

First of all, I'd like to point out that this is actually a good thing, in that these people aren't terrorists and shouldn't be barred from coming to the US.

Secondly, the Bush administration was the source of the holdup in allowing these folks into the country in the first place, and it took a bipartisan threat to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to get Condi and company off their collective asses on this issue.

Third, yes, the fact that Myanmar has huge oil and gas reserves certainly factors into the equation. But that doesn't mean this wasn't the right thing to do.

[NYC]

15. That the U.S. does the right thing does not mean they do it

for the right reason.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

16. With the current administration...

...I'm relieved that they've at least done the right thing instead of the most-horribly-awful-and-malicious thing imaginable.

My, how my standards have fallen. :)

[NYC]

17. That's true.

You have to breathe a sigh of relief when they haven't done something terrible.

What a country.

[Supersedeas]

19. thanks for the link rodeo

[gatlingforme]

10. Oil reserves are very popular with Bush now.

[leQ]

20. is there a dictionary that traanslates bush-speak into english?

"One provision defines terrorist organization as any group of two or more people who bear arms with the intent to endanger the safety of any individual."

that could include a whole lotta people/groups, some which no doubt are are connected to the iraqi contractor aparatus. i have yet to see/read any concrete definition of terrorist. one that is universally accepted. one man's terrorist could be another man's savior.

[annabanana]

21. With what? A magic wand?. . . . . .n/t