Conservatives Decry Terror Laws' Impact on Refugees

[cal04]

Administration's Interpretation Means Many Asylum-Seekers Are Wrongly Considered Security Threats, Critics Say
Conservatives who supported President Bush's reelection have joined liberal groups in expressing outrage over his administration's broad use of anti-terrorism laws to reject asylum for thousands of people seeking refuge from religious, ethnic and political persecution.

The critics say the administration's interpretation of provisions mandating denial of asylum to individuals who give "material support" to terrorist groups is so broad that foreigners who fought alongside U.S. forces in wars such as Vietnam can be denied asylum on the grounds that they provided aid to terrorists.

Advocates for refugees add that people who were forced to aid terrorist fighters at gunpoint could be labeled as supporters and turned away; such cases include a nurse who was abducted and told to treat a guerrilla fighter in Colombia and a woman in Liberia who said her father was killed and she was raped and forced to stand by as rebels occupied her home for several days.

"This is so indefensible," said Michael Horowitz, a fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute and a former lawyer in the Reagan administration. "It is causing heroes who fought for the United States to be afraid of being deported."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/07/AR2007010701144.html

[MountainLaurel]

1. Where the hell were they

When decimated budgets and games with rules and regulations cut the number of refugees to almost zero. This isn't an overnight event -- this has been going on for years now.

[ninkasi]

2. These same conservatives

were wallowing in their self-righteousness, fingers firmly stuck in their ears, refusing to listen to anything but Faux news. They have never, never understood that when we liberals fight for rights, we fight for all. They fight only for themselves, and that's one of the big differences.

Conservatives, you put your idol in power, aided by a few rigged elections. Don't come whining now, because you're the ones on the opposite side of what your dictator wants.

[sabra]

3. kick

:kick: