100 American citizens captive on Army Base in Kuwait

[depotoo]

...When the contract ended Feb. 17, Al Shora refused to transfer the employees' visas to the new Kuwaiti subcontractor and falsely accused the Americans of being "runaways and absconders," according to Charles Tolleson, president of Global Linguist Solutions. His company has barred workers from leaving the bases since May 31 to protect them from arrest and imprisonment...
One of the employees, who contacted FoxNews.com Tuesday morning from Camp Buehring, said, "If we leave the base, we could be arrested by the Kuwaiti authorities, jailed or deported."

"We cannot see the doctor even for an emergency," said the woman, who asked that her name not be used. "Everybody here is under stress because a lot of us here need to go home. Our families are worried about us. We need to see our kids... We don’t see any hope. We’re dealing with a corrupt company in Kuwait that has fabricated charges against us."

She said the Al Shora's managing director "cancelled all of our visas here, so we became illegal."...

Al Shora is demanding $22 million from Global Linguistics in order to transfer the employees' visas to the new company, Kuwaiti Resources House, sources said. Under Kuwaiti law, foreigners cannot work in the country unless they are under the sponsorship of a private Kuwaiti company...

The office for the U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait referred all inquiries on the matter to the U.S. State Department.

“The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is aware of the commercial dispute involving a Department of Defense contractor and a local Kuwaiti company," Beth Gosselin, as a State Department spokeswoman, told FoxNews.com. "That dispute has had an impact on a number of private U.S. citizens working in Kuwait.

"The protection of U.S. citizens overseas is one of our highest priorities," Gosselin added. "The U.S. Embassy is working with the private U.S. citizens and is providing them with appropriate consular assistance. The Embassy continues to monitor the situation closely and is encouraging an immediate resolution to this difficult issue."

cont'd.

this is just bizarre and it has been going on since February??
Captive in Kuwait: Contract dispute leaves 100 Americans stranded on US Army bases | Fox News

 

[Kondor3]

Time to make a diplomatic incident out of this?

Have our Ambassador to Kuwait request permission to fly those American citizens out of Kuwait at US expense?

And, if the Kuwaitis refuse, fly 'em out anyway?

 

[depotoo]

Time to make a diplomatic incident out of this?

Have our Ambassador to Kuwait request permission to fly those American citizens out of Kuwait at US expense?

And, if the Kuwaitis refuse, fly 'em out anyway?

You would have thought after 4 months something would have been done by now. Crazy we are just hearing about it and that seems to be only because one of those held actually contacted the media.

 

[hortysir]

WOW
(subscribing for updates)

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

What the...!!! We're just now hearing about this ?
After five months?

 

[jasonnfree]

What the...!!! We're just now hearing about this ?
After five months?

Israel hijacked a former u.s. congresswoman from a ship in international waters and kept her in jail. USA did nothing. When you hear about our military rushing to foreign lands to protect "our interests", this means corporations like oil companies. Corporate welfare to all you right wingers. "Free stuff" courtesy of the taxpayers.
If you're a private citizen in trouble in a foreign country, you're on your own.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

What the...!!! We're just now hearing about this ?
After five months?

Israel hijacked a former u.s. congresswoman from a ship in international waters and kept her in jail. USA did nothing. When you hear about our military rushing to foreign lands to protect "our interests", this means corporations like oil companies. Corporate welfare to all you right wingers. "Free stuff" courtesy of the taxpayers.
If you're a private citizen in trouble in a foreign country, you're on your own.

So the media should ignore it as well? I would think it would be a good way to get the word out and garner support for their release. But that might make the messiah look bad. Although with obammy screwing over the AP things may be changing. Which is what we may have right here.

Obammy should do something. Problem is it would probably turn out like jimmys iran rescue attempt.

 

[depotoo]

What the...!!! We're just now hearing about this ?
After five months?

Israel hijacked a former u.s. congresswoman from a ship in international waters and kept her in jail. USA did nothing. When you hear about our military rushing to foreign lands to protect "our interests", this means corporations like oil companies. Corporate welfare to all you right wingers. "Free stuff" courtesy of the taxpayers.
If you're a private citizen in trouble in a foreign country, you're on your own.

Are you seriously trying to make this a partisan issue?

The incident you mention above was reported within 3 days of it happening in July of 2009 and she was released within 9 days.
It has been almost 5 months and yet this is the first we have heard of 100 US citizens??

 

[JoeBlam]

I'm following this story too....seems the one keeping them in limbo is a relative of the PM or president....so why not send in Blackhawks or a Chinook, shadowed by an Apache Longbow, pick em up and haul em out? After what we did for Kuwait, they'd best not fuck with us like this.

 

[depotoo]

It would seem the state department hasn't put any political pressure on Kuwait or this would have been long over.

 

[squeeze berry]

another state dept scandal?

 

[depotoo]

anyone seen anything new on this? Is this company a US government contractor?

 

[daveman]

It would seem the state department hasn't put any political pressure on Kuwait or this would have been long over.

The State Department's loyalty doesn't necessarily lie with the US.

 

[bodecea]

...When the contract ended Feb. 17, Al Shora refused to transfer the employees' visas to the new Kuwaiti subcontractor and falsely accused the Americans of being "runaways and absconders," according to Charles Tolleson, president of Global Linguist Solutions. His company has barred workers from leaving the bases since May 31 to protect them from arrest and imprisonment...
One of the employees, who contacted FoxNews.com Tuesday morning from Camp Buehring, said, "If we leave the base, we could be arrested by the Kuwaiti authorities, jailed or deported."

"We cannot see the doctor even for an emergency," said the woman, who asked that her name not be used. "Everybody here is under stress because a lot of us here need to go home. Our families are worried about us. We need to see our kids... We don’t see any hope. We’re dealing with a corrupt company in Kuwait that has fabricated charges against us."

She said the Al Shora's managing director "cancelled all of our visas here, so we became illegal."...

Al Shora is demanding $22 million from Global Linguistics in order to transfer the employees' visas to the new company, Kuwaiti Resources House, sources said. Under Kuwaiti law, foreigners cannot work in the country unless they are under the sponsorship of a private Kuwaiti company...

The office for the U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait referred all inquiries on the matter to the U.S. State Department.

“The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is aware of the commercial dispute involving a Department of Defense contractor and a local Kuwaiti company," Beth Gosselin, as a State Department spokeswoman, told FoxNews.com. "That dispute has had an impact on a number of private U.S. citizens working in Kuwait.

"The protection of U.S. citizens overseas is one of our highest priorities," Gosselin added. "The U.S. Embassy is working with the private U.S. citizens and is providing them with appropriate consular assistance. The Embassy continues to monitor the situation closely and is encouraging an immediate resolution to this difficult issue."

cont'd.

this is just bizarre and it has been going on since February??
Captive in Kuwait: Contract dispute leaves 100 Americans stranded on US Army bases | Fox News

ME countries pull this all the time on foriegen workers...mostly from India and the Far East....they may have bitten off too much by trying it on Americans.

 

[Kondor3]

"...ME countries pull this all the time on foriegen workers...mostly from India and the Far East....they may have bitten off too much by trying it on Americans."

State-sponsored blackmail? Give us a zillion shekels or we'll mess with your peeps? Well, let's face it... Muslim-Arabs and Water Coastline oftentimes = Piracy... as may be evidenced by hot-spots of piracy even today all around the parts of the African coast controlled by Muslims... so... mebbe we should not be all that surprised, after all.

As far as 'biting off more than they can chew'... I find myself wondering whether Fearless Leader and his Gang have the common sense and courage to move on this, in a timely and effective manner. Perhaps that's why this is happening... because those thieves and pirates are also wondering the same thing.

 

[depotoo]

There is nothing new out there I can find on this. I wish the media would follow up on it.