by Iraq-based US diplomats and others are turning to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for help. That’s because the Iraqi government has recently detailed more than 100 international workers, claiming that they have issues with their visas and their paperwork. Meanwhile, this is encroaching upon their ability to help the Iraqi people.
As the International Stability Operations Association said in a letter to Mrs. Clinton on Sunday,
“We want to ensure that you are aware of the seriousness of this issue and the impact it is having on our members’ ability to support the transition and government programs in Iraq and ask your assistance in working with the government of Iraq to reach a prompt solution.”
Asking for Assistance
Doug Brooks, the group’s president and the author of the letter, said that the number of employees that have been detained has been in the “low hundreds” and that “The government of Iraq has neither renewed 2011 visas nor issued new 2012 visas.”
Mr. Brooks explained that the origin of the issues seems to come from an infighting among three Iraqi ministries – defense, internal security and transport. They are fighting amongst themselves about who is responsible for keeping tabs on the movement of foreign contractors.
State of Chaos
On Iraqi businessman described the situation as “a state of chaos” that is frustrating for foreign workers who are trying to help out in Iraq and get things done.
It’s now in the hands of the Department of State and the US embassy in Iraq to see if they can get things moving ahead.
