Why are U.S.-allied refugees still branded as 'terrorists?'

07-26-2009 • McClatchy News

Almost every day for three years, prison guards at one of Saddam Hussein's most notorious prisons tortured Sami Alkarim.

Now, in a cruel twist of fate, the accomplished Iraqi artist is being treated like a terrorist by the U.S., the country where he sought refuge.

U.S. officials have told him they can't give him permanent residency in Denver because of messenger work he did as a teenager for the same political party that counts the current p

1 Comments in Response to Why are U.S.-allied refugees still branded as 'terrorists?'

Comment by Lucky Red

Entered on: 7/29/2009 6:37:08 AM

The best answer to this question can be found in Rep. Sen. Joseph McCarthy's biography:

"After several largely undistinguished years in the Senate, McCarthy rose suddenly to national fame in February 1950 when he asserted in a speech that he had a list of "members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring" who were employed in the State Department. McCarthy was never able to prove his sensational charge.

In succeeding years, McCarthy made additional accusations of Communist infiltration into the State Department, the administration of President Truman, Voice of America, and the United States Army. He also used charges of communism, communist sympathies, or disloyalty to attack a number of politicians and other individuals inside and outside of government."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy

McCarthy's 50s Communist witch-hunt hysteria is alive and well, only in the 2000s, it's the "Terrorist witch-hunt hysteria" - Political hystory always repeats itself.

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