Heartbreaking true story of American allies in Iraq denied citizenship for 'security-related reasons'

'To be honest, I lost hope.'

In a heartbreaking opinion piece, FT.com's investigations editor Christine Spolar laments America's refusal to allow Iraqi allies citizenship.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "I spoke to two Iraqis, former colleagues who had risked their lives for Americans, to tell them I doubted they would ever be welcomed in my country, Spolar wrote in a piece titled "The slow death of hope for America's loyal friends in Iraq."

Spolar's piece exudes tones of both sympathy and heartache for two men she once worked with. "For years after the 2003 invasion, Americans relied on Iraqis to navigate a country whose terrain we barely knew and whose sectarian loyalties it was vital to understand," she wrote.

"Journalists could not have survived without them. Neither could the troops, aid workers or diplomats. The goodwill of those caught in the middle of these war zones - whether in Iraq or now perhaps in Syria - allowed us to stay safe and do our jobs.

"The men I knew had been translators and drivers for the Chicago Tribune, then my employer. They reported through mortar attacks, even a car bomb. Then Sinan Adhem and Nadeem Majeed decided they wanted to live in the US. They applied 10 years ago for visas.

"As they waited, they became fathers, perfected their English and found better jobs ... Last year, both Sinan and Nadeem received emails from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services stating that they could not be trusted. No one disputed they had all the proper papers or that the visa applications were credible. Yet form letters dismissed Sinan, then Nadeem, with vague finality: 'Denied as a matter of discretion for security-related reasons.'"

Understandably, Adhem asked Spolar, "Are the Americans calling me a terrorist?"
His heartbreaking question was met with tears and disbelief, as Spolar believed "it had to be a clerical error by USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security."

She expressed concern with Syria's decline and worried her "friends could soon by vying with thousands of desperate refugees."

In an attempt to help, Spolar spent weeks searching for "help in congressional offices; filed Freedom of Information Act requests for explanations." 

She contacted USCIS officials so many times than they now ignore all emails she sends. Meanwhile, Spolar wrote, "I am trying, still, to make the case: these men are why America said it was liberating Iraq. If Sinan and Nadeem are deemed suspicious - men who served the US cause - what chance do others have who are now seeking asylum?"

Spolar was able to file legal appeals for each man with help from the aid group Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, but her hopes were dashed when a retired general she knew claimed "The Department of Homeland Security is a 'black hole.' it has become a hall of mirrors where there are no answers."

Though she was trying her best, Majeed had to comfort Spolar when she called him to apologize for her failure to succeed so far. As former journalists, both Majeed and Adhem stay up-to-date on news stories around the world, and in response to her defeat, Majeed said, "To be honest, I lost hope. After this week - and what I saw in Washington - I can't have hope."

He admitted he wanted a better life, but comforted Spolar by saying, "But it is not your fault, my dear. Don't be angry. I think the whole world has gone crazy."

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