60 Minutes segment on Iraqi refugees -- an important story done well.

[scarletwoman]

There are literally THOUSANDS of Iraqis who worked as translators, who put their lives at risk -- and the lives of their family members -- to help the American occupiers, and who have now had to escape Iraq due to death threats from insurgents. And the U.S. WILL NOT HELP THEM!

The U.S. State Department is doing next to NOTHING to help these people out. They cannot return to Iraq, they are at risk of being deported from the countries they escaped to, and the U.S. will NOT resettle them here!

It's a stunning report -- big props for CBS and 60 Minutes for bringing this to light. This is outrageous -- I've known about for some time, but I'm very grateful to see some attention being paid by a mainstream media program.

Pacific Time Zone folks: DO catch tonight's 60 Minutes if you can!

sw

[chelsea0011]

1. Great story among an outstanding night on 60 Minutes

[scarletwoman]

2. It really is a pretty impressive program tonight -- 1st the Anthrax attacks, then the Iraqi refugee

situation, and the fight against coal mine owners and unsafe conditions. (not to mention, Andy Rooney advocating a military draft).

One of the best 60 Minutes I've seen in ages, for sure.

sw

[riverdeep]

3. They all but called out W

The woman who was in charge of relocating the vietnamese during the 70's, and was able to get over 150,000 in less than a year, seemed to make a point that it was president Ford's personal commitment that made it happen. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our Dear Leader is challenging reporters to keep up with him in a bicycle race.

It also undermines long term security when we develop a rep that we use you and discard you when we're done. Who in their right mind is going to help us now? And to truly fight terrorism, we need allies just like the kind we deserted.

[scarletwoman]

4. I thought the program did an excellent job of underlining your second point --

that the U.S. will use you and then just "discard" you.

And the current State Department spokeswoman (not the Ford Admin woman) just blew my mind: "Well, since 9/11 we have to do much more stringent screening for people who could be security risks..." (paraphrase)

She may as well have said that if you're Iraqi, you're a possible terrorist, so we can't let you in. It was absolutely infuriating!

The overall message to anyone in a foreign country considering cooperation with the US: You will lose all safety in your own country, and you will not be welcome in ours. Great policy! :grr:

sw

[wellst0nev0ter]

5. They Are A-rabs. They Hate Us For Our Freedoms.

Not that we devastate and rape their countries. Nope, they aren't capable of feeling that way

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Well, besides screwing the Hmong after Viet Nam...

we REALLY screwed the Philippinos six ways from Sunday on a regular basis, and still haven't gotten around to what we owe them for WWII.

Hasn't stopped the suckers from lining up, though, but this time it might stick because the whole thing is so completely fucked up.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. I'm really liking that General Eaton.

He was awesome on Bill Maher Friday night.

[scarletwoman]

8. There's another good thread about this in the "editorials & articles" forum, with link to transcript

here