Skip to comments.
Petition to Grant "Mohammed" U.S. Citizenship
Parkersburg News & Sentinel ^
| 4/8/03
| Evan Bevins
Posted on 04/08/2003 12:41:28 PM PDT by Dergie
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio - A former Marine has started an online petition to bestow American citizenship upon the man who led U.S. forces to Pfc. Jessica Lynch.
Richard DeMarco, who lives in this suburb north of Cleveland, said he felt something had to be done to thank the Iraqi lawyer, known to the public only by his first name of Mohammad. Mohammad drew maps of the hospital where Lynch, a Palestine native, was being held and reported to soldiers on security measures in place around her. "He literally gave us back one of our daughters," DeMarco said.
According to a story on the U.S. Marine Corps Web site, Mohammad, who lived in An Nasiryah, the town where members of Lynch's convoy were attacked after taking a wrong turn, learned of the soldier's captivity while visiting the hospital, where his wife worked.
Mohammad said he saw an Iraqi colonel strike Lynch twice. That display of violence, he said in the Marine Corps article, convinced him he must try to save her.
Locating a Marine checkpoint, Mohammad walked approximately six miles to make contact with coalition forces. He approached the Americans with his hands in the air, so as not to be mistaken for a soldier clad in civilian clothes.
"Being a former Marine ... and being in combat myself, I can fully appreciate the risks he took in approaching Marine lines, especially with the tactics the Iraqis had been using," DeMarco said.
Mohammad returned to the hospital to gather more information. At the same time, Iraqi forces stormed his home, seizing many of his personal belongings. His wife and daughter escaped to the home of family members nearby.
With the help of Mohammad's information and a diversion from troops in another part of the city, a team of Navy SEALs, Marine commandos, Air Force pilots and Army Rangers freed Lynch from the hospital.
Mohammad, his wife and daughter are now in a secure location and have been granted refugee status.
For DeMarco, though, this is not enough for a family that risked their lives to save an American soldier.
"He deserves something above and beyond...," he said.
DeMarco's petition, located online at http://www.petitiononline.com/POWHELPR/petition.html, asks members of Congress to sponsor a bill granting special U.S. citizenship to Mohammad and his family.
So far, the petition has registered more than 120 signatures, many of them from veterans.
DeMarco said granting Mohammad citizenship would show the U.S. can reward its allies, not just punish its enemies.
"I think that would send a good message to the Middle East," he said.
It also might help break down stereotypes held by some Americans, DeMarco said, by showing the violent actions of some Muslims and Iraqis do not reflect the beliefs of all.
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: citizenship; jessicalynch; lynch; mohammad; petition; pow
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-50 next last
1
posted on
04/08/2003 12:41:28 PM PDT
by
Dergie
To: Dergie
I appreciate the thought, but we need this man to stay in Iraq and be a leading Iraqi citizen a lot more than we need him in the U.S. as an American citizen.
2
posted on
04/08/2003 12:43:59 PM PDT
by
RonF
To: RonF
He wants to stay in Iraq, from what I've heard, but granting him U.S. citizenship would be a nice gesture.
3
posted on
04/08/2003 12:45:45 PM PDT
by
B Knotts
To: B Knotts
Yeah, thinking about it, I would agree that he needs to be given a leadership position.
4
posted on
04/08/2003 12:47:06 PM PDT
by
Dergie
To: All
5
posted on
04/08/2003 12:47:12 PM PDT
by
Support Free Republic
(Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
To: B Knotts
I think so too. Thank God for his character. If it wasn't for his bravery and determination Jessica may still be in the hands of the enemy. Why not citizenship? I'm for it.
To: Dergie
Can we stop playing "fast and loose" with U.S. citizenship?
7
posted on
04/08/2003 12:48:14 PM PDT
by
rimmont
To: Dergie
I'm all for it, where do I sign? But I do agree with the sentiment that we need him more in Iraq.
8
posted on
04/08/2003 12:49:03 PM PDT
by
AgThorn
(Continue to pray for our Troops!!)
To: B Knotts
I think a full scholarship for one of his kids when they get older, in a nice Western university that doesn't teach bullshit would be a nice touch. But...it would be hard to find such an institution of lower learning.
9
posted on
04/08/2003 12:49:50 PM PDT
by
AmericanInTokyo
(KIM JONG IL is having another bad underwear day.)
To: Dergie
Evidently the man is brave, a risk taker, and opposes evil. Sounds like he has the true american spirit. Unlike some craven members of congress, and the american left.
10
posted on
04/08/2003 12:50:40 PM PDT
by
week 71
To: Dergie
Richard DeMarco, who lives in this suburb north of Cleveland So he's Canadian?
North Royalton is about 10 miles south of Cleveland. North of Cleveland is Lake Erie. Anyway, its a nice gesture, and he seems like the type of guy who would make a good American. But he's needed in Iraq far more.
11
posted on
04/08/2003 12:51:00 PM PDT
by
XJarhead
To: AgThorn
We need to (for propaganda purposes, it's not a dirty word) play up in the Middle East that this guy acted like a true Muslim whereas Saddam's thugs acted like thugs. (They don't even rise to the level of thugee.)
12
posted on
04/08/2003 12:51:03 PM PDT
by
Doctor Stochastic
(Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
To: RonF
Agree
To: Dergie
The man is where he is needed. Could you imagine an American Lawyer taking the chances he took or walking anywhere?
14
posted on
04/08/2003 12:52:16 PM PDT
by
Conspiracy Guy
(Caring Rational Alert Professional)
To: Dergie
Make him the new attorney general of Free Iraq.
15
posted on
04/08/2003 12:53:13 PM PDT
by
Eva
To: Doctor Stochastic
We should also honor (later, later, after the war and its aftermath) the guys who helped the Coalition. Especially the ones killed by shooting and the guy who bled to death after having his tongue cut out after helping finger Saddam's meeting just before the war started.
16
posted on
04/08/2003 12:53:17 PM PDT
by
Doctor Stochastic
(Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
To: RonF
Concur. Maybe the guy doesn't want to be an American. He might want to say in his own country, now that it will be free of Saddam. Maybe help rebuild his country. I will be interested to see how many of these so-called exhiles will go back to Iraq to live.
To: Dergie
Think about it guys. This story is probably fiction to cover up the actual means and methods.
18
posted on
04/08/2003 12:54:58 PM PDT
by
wastoute
To: cubreporter
IMHO, it sends a shoddy, bad message, somewhat of melodramic, 'America-is-the-center-of-the-world'
arrogance at this critical point, I believe, to such overseas heroes to 'reward them with USA citizenship', as it rubs in the face of the Iraqis that somehow THEIR citizenship is second 'class'.
Well, hey, that might be true, but for wider machiavellian PR purposes, we don't need to be ugly patronizing Americans in this sense overseas?
No. Let's help the man wherever he can (and his country), in building a NEW IRAQ, that will be the pride of the entire country, so that Iraqi citizenship will be just as prized for Iraqis as American citizenship would be. That will be the true tribute to his kindness and will also make Iraqis feel better and not as our serfs and tokens.
19
posted on
04/08/2003 12:56:07 PM PDT
by
AmericanInTokyo
(KIM JONG IL is having another bad underwear day.)
To: RonF
The Iraqi Col. is a chump. I hope our boys can get their hands on that punk chump POS.
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-50 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson