Parents of slain Iraqi wait for appeal to attend funeral

[kpete]

Parents of slain Iraqi wait for appeal to attend funeral

By Leslie Wolf Branscomb
STAFF WRITER

March 13, 2006

The parents of a young man killed in an El Cajon liquor store robbery still don't know if they will be allowed into the United States to attend their son's funeral.

Wahid Pitros and Salma Eleya, the Iraqi parents of Firas Waahid Eiso, were denied travel visas last week by the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan.

Pitros and Eleya appealed the decision and are scheduled for another interview at the embassy Wednesday, said Dr. Noori Barka, president of the Chaldean-American Foundation in El Cajon.

The local Chaldean community plans to pressure the embassy to make a decision sooner, Barka said.

A viewing for Eiso is scheduled at 8 p.m. Wednesday at St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in Rancho San Diego. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday.

It is a 14-hour flight from Jordan and there is a 10-hour time difference, so if the visas are granted tomorrow the family still could arrive in time for the services, Barka said.

Eiso, 23, was shot in the back of the head during a robbery March 1 at Granada Liquor. Also killed was Heather Mattia, 22, the co-owner of the store. Mattia's funeral was held Wednesday.

more at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060313/news_1m13visa.html

[northofdenali]

1. Once again our government pulls a coldhearted fuckup.

If it was one of the Saudi kids, the visa would have been issued retroactively.