Soldiers Who Married Iraqi Women Remain Uncertain of Their Fate

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAYDOUU0MD.html

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Two National Guard soldiers who married Iraqi women against their commander's wishes will have to wait at least eight months to return home with their brides, according to a lawyer for one of the soldiers.

The women's visas will take at least that long to process by mail because the State Department is not issuing visas in Iraq, said Richard Alvoid, an attorney hired by Sgt. Sean Blackwell's family.

The wait could be even longer if the military decides to charge the men with disobeying orders, Alvoid said.

Blackwell, 27, and Cpl. Brett Dagen, 37, were Christians who converted to Islam so they could be married under Iraqi law. Their commanders took the unusual step of ordering the men not to marry.

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[arcane1]

1. "their commander's wishes"???

:wtf:

so they can tell people who they can and cannot marry now???

:wtf:

[CheshireCat]

2. Inexcusable!

Orders by the military telling soldiers who they can and cannot marry should not be enforcable. This stinks.

Are we not free in this country to marry whomever we wish? (Well, only if we are heterosexual)

America is looking more and more like the Soviet Union of the 60's and 70's everyday!

I AM depressed! (apologies to Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddles)

Peace!

[coralrf]

15. Its bullshit...

you can marry ...Uncle Sam can only controll immigration...not the laws of the host country

[Ilsa]

3. What's the point of bringing "democracy" to Iraq

...when our own soldiers are not free to exercise such a personal freedom?

[Man_in_the_Moon]

4. The Military is not a democracy. -nt

[coralrf]

12. Yes it is...

they have all the rights we do...

[alwynsw]

18. Not according to the UCMJ

(Uniform Code of Military Justice) Just a few differences, GI's are not permitted to slander or defame any elected official in any way. No, they may not marry without their commander's approval in a "conflict" zone. There are several articles in the UCMJ concering fraternization with and marriage to foreign nationals.

Same rights? Can civilians be imprisoned for failing to go to work? Can they be fined or imprisoned for refusing to folow orders? Can they be fined or imprisoned for failing to have a certain haircut? ...failure to wear prescribed clothing? ...failing to maintain aork-related machines, utensils, or (in the case of the military, weapons? ...calling your boss a nasty name? ..engaging in sports or hobbies that may cause injury that makes it impossible for you to do your job?

The list is seemingly endless. You may even have to get your CO's approval to move out of the barracks if you're single.

I've said it before, when you enlist, your ass belongs to Uncle Sam.

The same UCMJ, but much harsher was enacted during FDR's third term. It replaced the Articles of War as military law. Did I mention that the Articles of War allowed corporal punishment until well into WW II?

[PennyLane]

19. Unless........

.......they want to trash-talk their bosses! Then they find out how
free they are!

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. The war against Love. Like peace, love is the new terror

Love is anti-Crusade, anti-regime, anti-American.

It must be rooted out, smoked out of its cave and brought to justice.

[7th_Sephiroth]

6. its all about

the goverment weeding arabs out of the gene pool

[arcane1]

7. perhaps if the wives converted to Christianity

insteaed of the other way 'round, the situation might've been different...?

bastards

[Jorje Bzsch]

8. Marriage Made in Warzones..

Good way of CIA penitrate to Saddam Hussein

[pfitz59]

9. Military members overseas must have permission......

to marry foreign nationals in ALL situations, not just Iraq! Women (or men) must be cleared by US health authorities and pass criminal records check. Safeguards are in place as protections, not prohibitions. Appears soldiers failed to cross their "T's' and dot their "i's".

[SoCalDem]

10. Yep.. It's been this way forever

The US does not want soldiers getting married "willy-nilly" and bnging war brides over to the US and then leaving them...

It's always been tricky to marry a foreigner

[coralrf]

13. Bullshit...

they do not have to do that..

[coralrf]

16. Bullshit...

I did not have to do that...

[Jack Rabbit]

11. Thanks for posting, Don

Having been at one time a GI who married a young lady from overseas (Korea), I take an interest in this.

As the article states, it is unusual for commanders not to give permission. That the commanders in this case are being so coy about their reasons has me a bit concerned. The stated reasons in the article don't rign true. Perhaps the brass has good reason to believe that this is some sort of green card scheme; and perhaps they just have problems with Arab women coming to America as war brides.

Please keep us posted.

Thanks again.

[coralrf]

14. You do not need permision to get married from the USA..

that is bullshit...

[Dr Fate]

17. Love is pretty powerful...

...these guys were probably tired of all the death- I think its kind of neat- I wish them the best...

[ktranz]

20. conservative's number one taboo

interracial with the enemy

[newyawker99]

21. Hi ktranz!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[moroni]

22. Permission is required from the military......

If you marry outside of military permission, and the new "spouse" does not qualify for immigration, then you have a problem. It actually protects the "newlyweds" (especially the military member) though most will not see it that way. Many things can keep immigration from becoming a reality... criminal behavior, disease, a previous marriage and so on. Many times brides marry to escape conditions that are, lets say, terrible? Can't say that I blame them but for the most part the ones I have known stay with their husbands for many years, not much different than regular "American" marriages. They may divorce later, or not but it normally has nothing to do with cultural or religious differences. I always enjoyed the diversity of couples I know who marry outside of their race, culture, or religion. I knew a couple in Germany (he black, she white, children were one white, one black, one asian - all adopted). What a loving couple. I have seen confrontation too of course. Most of the time it gets worked out.
I have know great kids from couples who marry outside of their race or color. These kids, if they make it past us, are the future of this planet. They are beautiful, intelligent, and generally free of our "learned" hatreds. This doesn't mean they won't have any later on, but they WON'T necessarily get it from their homes.

I speak from personal experience in marriage to a foreign national and doing it while serving in the military during peace and NOT so peaceful times. I will say there are cultural adjustments that must be "overcome". Some of these are difficult to say the least. Put yourself in "his or her shoes" and see if you could adjust to say, Japan, Vietnam, India, Panama, Philippines, or any number of other nationalities. I bet some of us would not be able to adjust to Alaska much less Argentina.

I have always enjoyed the cultures of other lands. If nothing else brings folks together, try the food!!! I have and for the most part it is good. You don't have to eat silk worm larvae in Korea, or Laab Neu in Thailand to get along, but at least you can say you tried it. Learn a little of the language and their customs. No, you don't have to give up yours. I have been subject to discrimination in one or two of them but I always understood the it was because of a small few that this happened. The majority of people around the world want you to get to know them and they want to know you. Many will attempt to change the way you pray to God. It is instilled in all of us to convert others. People are basically good. They only smell differently because they eat different foods. Get over this. You smell different too! Be glad we don't smell each other's butts to say hello.

Back to lurker mode.

PS: I feel we must learn to get along on this planet before we will gain access to other worlds. At this point, we are NOT doing well.
What a pathetic group of creatures we are.