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Fri July 25, 2008

U.S. repays Iraqis by supplying visas

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Suicide bomb kills at least 8
A female suicide bomber blew herself up near U.S.-allied Sunni Arab fighters walking in a crowded area of Baqouba, killing at least eight of the guards and wounding 24 other people Thursday evening, police said.

The attack comes as the U.S.-backed Iraqi military is promising to launch a major offensive in Diyala province aimed at taming the last major insurgent belt north of Baghdad. Baqouba is the province's capital.

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A captured driver for Osama bin Laden did not fully cooperate with efforts to find the terrorist leader, FBI agents said Thursday, countering defense claims that he provided valuable assistance.

Salim Hamdan initially did not volunteer details about bin Laden's inner circle or the operations of al-Qaida, agents said as they testified in the fourth day of the Guantanamo prisoner's war crimes trial.

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•SNIPER CHARGES: Charges have been dismissed against a Camp Pendleton Marine sniper accused in the shooting deaths of two Syrians in Iraq, Marine Corps officials said Thursday. The charges against Sgt. John Winnick II were dismissed without prejudice by the commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, meaning charges could be brought again at a later time.

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By The Associated Press
BAGHDAD — The U.S. Embassy on Thursday launched an expanded immigration program that provides 5,000 more visas each year for Iraqis who have put themselves at risk by working for the U.S. government.

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The new guidelines represent a 10-fold increase in the number of visas and extend the applicable categories beyond an existing program for interpreters to include all Iraqis who have worked for the U.S. government, the military or related contractors and sub-contractors.

The Bush administration has come under criticism from advocates and lawmakers for how it has dealt with Iraqi employees who have frequently been targeted by anti-U.S. insurgents seeking to derail American efforts to stabilize the country.

Richard Albright, the embassy's senior coordinator for refugee issues, called the new program "a significant step toward fulfilling our obligation of providing safe haven for those brave Iraqi citizens who risked their lives in order to serve the United states and a free Iraq.”

"It is a response to the view that we have special obligations to Iraqis who have been employed by us,” he added during remarks at a news conference outlining the program.

The plan is separate from a refugee program. Albright said the benefits are similar, including a loan to pay for transportation to the U.S. as well as housing and health care for up to eight months.

Who qualifies for the program?
•The special immigrant visa program applies to all Iraqis who have "worked for or on behalf of the United States government for at least 12 months” since the U.S.-led invasion on March 20, 2003, according to the guidelines.

•Applicants must prove they served the United States and have experienced serious threat as a result of that employment.

•Their spouses and unmarried minor children also can receive visas in addition to the 5,000 that will be provided annually for five years, Albright said.