Iraqis on tour banned from Memphis city hall

[Kadie]

Iraqis on tour banned from Memphis city hall


The Associated Press
Last Updated: August 3, 2004, 02:07:00 PM PDT


MEMPHIS (AP) - Iraqis visiting on a civil rights tour were barred from city hall after the city council chairman said it was too dangerous to let them in.

The seven Iraqi civic and community leaders are in the midst of a three-week American tour, sponsored by the State Department to learn more about the process of government. The trip also includes stops in Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago.

The Iraqis were scheduled to meet with a city council member, but Joe Brown, the council chair, said he feared the group was dangerous.

"We don't know exactly what's going on. Who knows about the delegation, and has the FBI been informed?" Brown said. "We must secure and protect all the employees in that building."

more...
http://www.modbee.com/24hour/nation/story/1540968p-9087462c.html

[Democat]

1. I guess they learned something about some people in the American South

Too bad that happened.

[burned]

8. No fair :(

Southern profiling.

[auburnblu]

20. some people in the South can be really off base with their beliefs

No question about it. Not sure what Joe Brown was thinking.

[uhhuh]

2. First lesson

If you are from the Middle East, you are automatically assumed to be a terrorist.

[StandUpGuy]

18. First lesson

The bush administration LIES.

The state department is now run by the former Joint Chief Powell.

This guy probably doesn't trust his own government not the Iraqis.

[mike1963]

3. So do they need to go home to find "freedom"?

:grr:

[smallprint]

4. Unreal.

"Who knows about the delegation...?" Brown said.

Uhhhhh... that would be the State Department, who is sponsoring them, for starters. You moron.

And the fact that they are here studying Civil Rights... oh the ironies are too much.

:crazy:

[Ripley]

5. Oh man...he threatened to bring in the bomb squad if the Iraqi's

entered the building. I cannot think of anything more stupid than that.

[TrogL]

6. and he got his information from where?

FBI? CIA? Homeland security?

Nope, just his own prejudices.

I'll bet the ACLU would get a giggle out of this.

[David__77]

7. Wow, even the collaborators are "dangerous."

I see an Arab-American rap group in the coming period putting out "Fear of an Iraqi Planet."

[Downtown Hound]

9. I'd say they learned a lot about American democracy today

Sad.

[Straight Shooter]

10. Welcome to our "Southern hospitality." Now get the hell away from here.

Wow. America is sure making a great impression on the world :eyes:

[joycep]

11. Man this stinks

I am embarrassed as I am from Memphis. Nothing like winning friends and influencing people.

[indepat]

13. Don't your Memphis mayor and several of the city commissioners come up

with unbelievable, often hilarious, antics on a frequent basis?

[daleo]

12. "But, we're puppets!"

If you can't trust puppets you have put into your puppet government, who can you trust?

[NewHampshireDem]

14. Hearts and minds, folks, hearts and minds ... eom

[Rose Siding]

15. Joe spent a few decades hiding under the bed from communists

and the dust bunnies drove him over the edge.

[Karenina]

16. Peinlich.

:eyes:

[A_Possum]

17. That's so embarrassing

"They are in charge of setting up processes in their country. They have to educate themselves about how it works in this country," Silverman (their host) said.

Quite an education in democracy, all right. *heavy sigh*

[mbperrin]

19. OK, now that you've seen how NOT

to do it, anybody for danish?