Categories: uncategorized
Date: 08 August 2007 10:42:33
Okay I've read your requests and, in accordance with political imperatives, have decided to rant about what I want. Bet you didn't see that coming, eh????
My chosen subject is Iraq.
One of my earliest memories in life was the image of the last helicopter taking off from the roof of the US embassey in Saigon. After 20 years of involvement in Vietnamese politics the US pulled their officials out. Tricky Dicky had already removed US troops and left the South Vietnamese army to fight alone against the tide of the North Vietnamese.
People who had given years of service to the US army and political advisers were left behind, abandoned to the mercy of the North Vietnamese forces. Can any of you remember the sickening sight of boats crammed full of people fleeing the communist authorities? The people who ended up in refugee camps in the Phillipines and Hong Kong?
Fast forward 30 years to Iraq; another debacle of US making (by the US I mean the Bush government, not the people). Things have, once again, failed to go to plan. However the US, and the Danes, have been quietly evacuating Iraqi people who have assisted them during the occupation. These people have had their lives threatened by the local militias who view them as collaborators with the occupying powers.
The British on the other hand have turned their back on those who have helped them. Why? Well from reports today it appears that the MOD, the Foreign Office and the Home Office are consumed by infoghting and petty jealousy and that is effecting government policy.
These people have been, by local standards, well paid for their assistance, about £100 per day. This is 35 times the average wage in Iraq. That's ok then. We've paid them well so why do anything else.
The government made a statement in the House of Lords in April that ministers were looking at how they could help Iraqi translators and there families. All's well then you'd think. The government have told us that they're doing something. Is it any wonder that there is uproar when it is discovered that they're actually doing nothing?
What do the government do?
Well a letter is sent to one of the translators from No. 10 Downing Street - the office of the Prime Minister. In it he's told that he'll be shown no special favours by the UK government. He can either apply for a visa through the official government website (and join the queue) or he can travel to a third country and apply for a visa there. Of course, there's no guarantee that either option will work.
We are a country that is known throughout the world for its reputation as a supporter of the underdog and those suffering persecution. To some that makes us a soft touch for anyone looking to move to the rich West but to other it offers a glimmering light in their personal darkness.
Our government makes a big thing of operating an "ethical" and "responsible" foreign policy. Evidently this only applies to those buying weapons from us. If you put yourself, and your family, at personal risk in helping us then you can rely on us to leave you behind to fend for yourself.
I suppose if such a person is killed then either we won't hear about it or our leaders will just shrug their shoulders and write it off as a product of war.
In fairness why should we care? Don't we have enough problems with immigrants coming here already?