when I started this blog five years ago, I was a pet sitter and the name animal-crackers made sense. now I'm a stay-at-home-dad and freelance writer, but rather than confuse everyone by getting a different blog, it's just easier to keep posting things here.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The man from Sierra Leone
I mentioned in my previous post the incarceration of a friend and classmate of mine, Sam Kambo.
In 1992, Sam helped lead a coup d'etat that ousted the All People's Congress from power and installed 25-year-old Army Capt. Valentine Strasser as president. Sam became deputy defense minister for the National Provisional Ruling Council, and was among the eight most powerful men in Sierra Leone. But promises to return the government to the people were not fulfilled and Sam became disillusioned.
He left in 1994 with his wife and daughter, and attended the University of Texas with a UN scholarship. Over the next 12 years he had four more children -- including twin girls and his only son -- received an MBA from UT and became a financial analyst involved in the energy market.
(In 1996, Sam's old boss Brig. Gen. Julius Maada Bio, who was the defense minister, ousted Strasser and returned power to civilian authorities.)
In 2001 Sam applied for permanent residency. It took Immigration five years to respond. Now only was his request denied, but he was taken into custody for deportation.
The US has a law that bars foreigners who have (among other things) taken part in extrajudicial executions. Although the US government has not presented any evidence, it says that while Sam was a leading member of the junta between 1992 and 1994, about 30 ex-leaders were summarily killed without trials (aka, extrajudicial executions).
Sam maintains he was never involved with the executions. The US government says tough, he was a leader in an organization that did this so he must be held responsible whether he did it or not.
What I don't understand is how he got into the US in the first place. He received a diplomatic visa, which was changed to a student visa, which was changed to a work visa, which was renewed.
Immigration officials could have barred him at any time during the past 13 years. Why didn't they?
Because it served US foreign policy to admit him and help dismantle the junta.
Now that some time has passed it no longer serves the US government to allow him to stay.
So he and his wife and five children will get the boot. Four of the children are US citizens. But they too will get the boot.
Another aspect I don't understand is why Homeland Security is pursuing Sam so vigorously. I've seen the documents, and it's not like some new evidence came to light. He's not a security risk.
My guess is some bureaucrat somewhere needs to boost his deportation record because he needs a promotion to get the bigger house and better iPod. That's the American Way.
I don't know what Sam is responsible for while he was deputy defense minister. It is possible he was involved in torture and executions, which would be inexcusable. But I don't feel that is the case. Homeland Security has presented a weak argument using guilt by association.
Weak arguments using guilt by association is what the US government does best.
In 1992, Sam helped lead a coup d'etat that ousted the All People's Congress from power and installed 25-year-old Army Capt. Valentine Strasser as president. Sam became deputy defense minister for the National Provisional Ruling Council, and was among the eight most powerful men in Sierra Leone. But promises to return the government to the people were not fulfilled and Sam became disillusioned.
He left in 1994 with his wife and daughter, and attended the University of Texas with a UN scholarship. Over the next 12 years he had four more children -- including twin girls and his only son -- received an MBA from UT and became a financial analyst involved in the energy market.
(In 1996, Sam's old boss Brig. Gen. Julius Maada Bio, who was the defense minister, ousted Strasser and returned power to civilian authorities.)
In 2001 Sam applied for permanent residency. It took Immigration five years to respond. Now only was his request denied, but he was taken into custody for deportation.
The US has a law that bars foreigners who have (among other things) taken part in extrajudicial executions. Although the US government has not presented any evidence, it says that while Sam was a leading member of the junta between 1992 and 1994, about 30 ex-leaders were summarily killed without trials (aka, extrajudicial executions).
Sam maintains he was never involved with the executions. The US government says tough, he was a leader in an organization that did this so he must be held responsible whether he did it or not.
What I don't understand is how he got into the US in the first place. He received a diplomatic visa, which was changed to a student visa, which was changed to a work visa, which was renewed.
Immigration officials could have barred him at any time during the past 13 years. Why didn't they?
Because it served US foreign policy to admit him and help dismantle the junta.
Now that some time has passed it no longer serves the US government to allow him to stay.
So he and his wife and five children will get the boot. Four of the children are US citizens. But they too will get the boot.
Another aspect I don't understand is why Homeland Security is pursuing Sam so vigorously. I've seen the documents, and it's not like some new evidence came to light. He's not a security risk.
My guess is some bureaucrat somewhere needs to boost his deportation record because he needs a promotion to get the bigger house and better iPod. That's the American Way.
I don't know what Sam is responsible for while he was deputy defense minister. It is possible he was involved in torture and executions, which would be inexcusable. But I don't feel that is the case. Homeland Security has presented a weak argument using guilt by association.
Weak arguments using guilt by association is what the US government does best.
Labels: homeland, immigration, kambo, leone, sam, security, sierra
4 Comments:
What a frakkn stuffed up situation Todd. Expediency seems to rule the day. How can they deport the kids who are US citizens?
The kids are American citizens? How can they be deported? That's BS.
I'm sorry, let me rephrase that.
Sam's wife and oldest daughter aren't facing deportation, because Immigration has no cause. And his other four children cannot be deported.
But he's the sole source of income. His wife is a homemaker. So if he goes, they'll all have to return to Sierra Leone.
It's more like deportation by default.
Of course, he good leave them here by themselves. I'm so dumb.
I read rumours that the far righties are trying to pass a law to stop so called "anchor babies' and allow them to be deported.
What ever happended to give me your tired, your hungry and your poor.
Keep up the fight Todd.
Post a Comment
<< Home