VVA President to the President: Grant Iraqi, Afghani Interpreters Entry to the U.S.
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 8:03 am
VVA President to the President:
Grant Iraqi, Afghani Interpreters Entry to the U.S.
(Washington, D.C.) – “We are disturbed to learn that Iraqi and Afghani interpreters who worked alongside our troops through our nation’s longest wars are being prevented from entering the United States,” John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America, said one year ago. “Today, if anything, their situation has become that much more precarious after so many months of inaction.
“As Al Qaeda, Isis, and the Taliban have continued to target civilians who have cooperated with Coalition forces, interpreters and their families are at particular risk,” Rowan said. “President Trump's blanket ban on immigration from Iraq and Afghanistan makes these men and women easy targets and condemns them to lead lives of imminent peril.
“We must fulfill our promise to Iraqi and Afghani nationals who served alongside our troops. We promised them safe harbor, because this is a moral necessity and because it sends a clear message that America keeps promises to our allies.
“We strongly urge the President and his advisors to reconsider the effects that this ban on Iraqi and Afghani interpreters will have on our long-term strategic goals, and to immediately create an exception for foreign nationals who have served alongside our men and women,” said Rowan. “To do otherwise undermines promises made in good faith by our troops and stains the integrity of our great nation.”
Grant Iraqi, Afghani Interpreters Entry to the U.S.
(Washington, D.C.) – “We are disturbed to learn that Iraqi and Afghani interpreters who worked alongside our troops through our nation’s longest wars are being prevented from entering the United States,” John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America, said one year ago. “Today, if anything, their situation has become that much more precarious after so many months of inaction.
“As Al Qaeda, Isis, and the Taliban have continued to target civilians who have cooperated with Coalition forces, interpreters and their families are at particular risk,” Rowan said. “President Trump's blanket ban on immigration from Iraq and Afghanistan makes these men and women easy targets and condemns them to lead lives of imminent peril.
“We must fulfill our promise to Iraqi and Afghani nationals who served alongside our troops. We promised them safe harbor, because this is a moral necessity and because it sends a clear message that America keeps promises to our allies.
“We strongly urge the President and his advisors to reconsider the effects that this ban on Iraqi and Afghani interpreters will have on our long-term strategic goals, and to immediately create an exception for foreign nationals who have served alongside our men and women,” said Rowan. “To do otherwise undermines promises made in good faith by our troops and stains the integrity of our great nation.”