Comments on: Left Behind

Scott Pelley On The Plight Of Iraqis Who Helped The U.S.

[americanwomn]

Congrats to the iraqis who took part in helping their own country. Yeah it is screwed up that the American government isn't doing a little bit more to help those, who helped the soldiers,that are there for them in the first place.As for iraqis fleeing their own country, don't you think that probably is a good idea anyway? How many American citizens would stay in their own home if war found itself on their doorsteps? Having civilians out of the way makes the enemies more clear. And do not forget that American citizens die in Iraq everyday. I say bring our soldiers home and let them fend for themselves.

[mayarice]

This was so obviously a manipulation piece to make the American public feel guilty and mad at the goverment. Scott Pelley's views were one sided - there are many other solutions to this problem aside from bringing 100,000 Iraqi' here.

[varunkle]

Thank you, thank you! I am attempting to help a young Iraqi remain in the US -- and it has been one of the frustrating things I have ever encountered. I am so unhappy with our country. Can anyone say the word -- fiasco? The actions of our government --- of our State Department --- are immoral. There are similarities to this and returning Jewish people to Germany. It is criminal.

[mllwebster]

Send one of these left behind Iraqi to me. I do not speak the language or have any heritage there. I'm just an ordinary American, but there's always room for one more at our house. Forward this message wherever necessary.
Maggie Littlejohn

[randalds]

Saigon redux.

[chuck-jackie]

Thank you for informing us about this act of abandonment by our government. I am very frightened for these brave Iraqi people who, by helping our soldiers, now face the very real threat of death. I think it is criminal on our part to abandon them now. I will gladly open my door to offer food and shelter to Iraqi refugees. Please tell me how I can help.

[tbweb]

It's very important for the U.S. to take care of those who support it. The main reason is friend and foe watch how those who support the U.S. are treated. Enemies of the U.S. will use badly treated U.S. supporters as poster children to discourage other potential supporters saying things like "look what happened to them?", If the U.S. does not do a good job taking care of its supporters, future support will be hard to come by! It's better to provide a safe haven for U.S. supporters in their own country, it's not practical or realistic to move every U.S. supporter to the United States! But the U.S. should do all in its power to make U.S. supporters safe in their home country. Only in extreme cases should U.S. supporters be allowed to come to the U.S. Why should a potential U.S. supporter come forward and help the U.S. if they see a U.S. supporter badly treated or worst, neglected.

[rmayes11]

A striking ommission in your report was the fact that the U.S. did the very same to those who sided with the U.S. against Saddam during the first gulf war. As I recall, he killed all of those linked to involvement with the U.S. Same thing happened to the Kurds. This seems to be the U.S. policy to engage allies and abandon them. If the Department of Homeland Security will not allow the refuges that helped in the war effort to relocate to the U. S., the least that should be done is to help them settle in other countries for the protection of their lives and family!

RMayes

[wtezra]

I cannot believe how we are so unwilling to learn a thing.
Please do not compare Iraq to Vietnam. Vietnamese people never proclaimed death to anyone. Look what happened in England who has taken in plenty of Arabs from all over.
Now, even Arabs that grew up in England, who have British citizenship are ready to commit acts of terror.
It's time to start learning and think American FIRST. What's wrong with that?
Please do not make us feel as we do not care. We are the most giving of nations. This is a different people. We do not understand them and never will. How can we understand kids that are eager to blow themselves up?
Let's concentrate on taking care of our troops, bringing them home and safeguarding our own people, feeding our own people, educating our own people.
Thank you.

[earliehb]

This is in regards to bringing Iraqi's over here. I am totally dead set against it and I base that on the comments about over 100,000 Vietnamese being imported in a few short months.I don't think people have any concept of the destruction that brought on one city alone. The city of Lowell, Mass. was turned from a decent hard-working place to a place of fear where people didn't dare walk the streets in daylight. Those people moved in 18-20 people in a two bedroom apartment. The very worst part of it was that the young people formed some of the most dangerous gangs in the nation and their women greatly added to the number of hookers already walking the streets.
Another big beef is the fact that those "aliens" were handed everything for free. That included housing, food, clothes, jobs, cars etc. etc. All this was done in front of out own homeless and hungry who couldn't get any help.
Those "imports" don't even have respect enough to learn English. I resent the fact that everything you buy has to have the instructions translated into 20 different languages. Plus everywhere you go interpreters have to be provided. All of the cost is of course passes on to us the comsumer. I just wonder if I went to Iraq or Viet Nam would I be given the same courtesy.

[dftoad]

Kudos to Scott Pelley and 60 Minutes for telling this long overdue story. Our community is trying to help a young Iraqi woman who was a translator for both US and British forces and the post invasion municipal government of Baghdad. She weighs about 90 pounds soaking wet, and has been targeted for death for helping us. She has more guts in one finger than those on here who are hiding so bravely behind our borders.

[CallingPlanetEarth]

Please note that the Vietnamese were allowed into the US _after_ we gave up on Vietnam. If we were to allow into the US every Iraqi who was threatened by insurgents because of their work with the US, there probably wouldn't be many Iraqis who would assist US forces in Iraq for very long before requesting to be sent to the US. The sequence would be:

1. Volunteer to help US forces.
2. Claim that you and your family have been threatened (truthfully or otherwise).
3. Move to the US (instead of Syria or Jordan).

While I believe that those who risked their lives to help US forces _definitely_ deserve to emigrate to the US, for the reason listed above this unfortunately can't be allowed to happen until the US military involvement in Iraq has ended (whenever the heck THAT will be).

[lmfenton]

It doesn't matter that these men and families are Muslim. It is disgusting that we used these brave men to help us and now we can not help them be safe. If it were safe for them there - if we were providing them protection in their homeland that they love so much they went out on a limb to help the Americans because they believed we would be able to give them a better life- they would stay and help make the changes Iraq so desperately needs. Instead we abandoned them in the worst sense of the word- we aren't protecting them in Iraq, in the countries where they seek refuge or here in America. It is our reponsibility to write our Congress men and women, President Bush, Sec. of State Condeleeza Rice and ANYBODY else that can make a difference. We must demand that we protect these families- first in Iraq so they can help build Iraq back up and then if need be give them the opportunity to be proud Americans. If we do not step up to the challenge now we will be proving the terrorists and insurgents right in being arrogant Americans that only look out for ourselves and we will be giving them more fuel for terror. We must join together to help these phenomenal human beings.

[count95]

Let%u2019s do the right thing and move the Iraqi Translators to a safe haven. If the post 9/11 security process is so time consuming, just move them to Kuwait while they are waiting to be processed. Aside from being morally right, doesn%u2019t it just make sense that the United States could use some field tested Arabic translators?

[rsked2005]

I am now just sick to hear this is happening to the poor slobs over there that were honerable enough to help us out when we were in need of their assistance, now we can just throw them asside, because are government can't be bothered with the red tape, or whatever it is they don't feel like doing. We did the same thing to those who helped us in Vietnam, and we wonder why there is a large part of the globe that hates us? We call ourself humanitarians, and run around saving the world, but don't even take care of those who beleive in us as a goodwill nation. I for one think we need to get rid of Bush and all of his money and oil hungry friends and rethink just what it is this country stands for. We use to know, and we were able to say we were proud to be Americans. It's getting harder and harder to say this, beleive this, and standby it. Our government is making it hard to be a ( PROUD AMERICAN ) Lets get back R.L.Sked

[jksachs]

I was distressed to hear about the Iraqi's that have been so neglected by our country. They have put their lives on the line and we (American government) can't even let them into this country. They all deserve to be honored and I am sure that they would rather stay in their country and fight for their freedom, but unfortunatly the insurgients see it another way. It is just morally correct to give them all the help they deserve. It is just right!!!

[pgranberry]

I can appreciate the sacrifices made for freedom. I question why those living in the country we are "helping" will not stand and fight rather than seeking refuge and blaming the U.S. for not helping them flee while we stay and fight. There are so many things wrong with this picture.

[taramm]

The post by Scott below shows just how Islamaphobic our country can be. Don't you think we had the same challenge when people came over from Vietnam? From Cuba? No one wanted these people here but we all adjusted because it was the RIGHT THING TO DO and we are a better country for it. Perhaps bringing these Iraqi people over would help our Islamaphobic tendencies. These people DESERVE to be here. These people fought for the lives of OUR Citizens. Shame on the President for not doing something, Congress for not pushing the issue, the media for not reporting it until now, and anyone who believes these people should be killed rather than supported by the U.S. Government. Eaton is right. It's a moral issue. It's not complicated when it's simply the right thing to do - you make it happen.

[kevin67a-2009]

They want to come here?
We have our own dangers here too.
For instance, here is the site of the next school shooting:

www.ExcelAcademyOhio.com

[jdcapshew]

Bush et al have betrayed our troops, lied to the American people and abandoned our Iraqi friends who put their lives on the line for us. We left them to be killed. We should be so ashamed. Our leaders have no moral compass and our cowards. Bush should be impeached, if he's not a traitor, he's awfully close. There is no doubt that the Bush regime is the darkest 8 years of our history.