Troops made US citizens in Afghanistan [also in Iraq, 150 sworn in as US citizens]

[rodeodance]

Source: ap



Troops made US citizens in Afghanistan
By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 41 minutes ago



KABUL, Afghanistan - Sixty U.S. service members from countries including Cuba, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Vietnam became American citizens on Monday during a ceremony in Afghanistan.

........

"Today they will swear a second oath to the country they've already pledged to defend," Rodriguez said at a ceremony coinciding with Veterans Day. "An oath of allegiance to the nation they are supporting as a member of her armed forces, deployed in harm's way, defending the citizens of the world from terrorism.

"There is no better way to recognize the sacrifices they are making here than to grant them the right to call themselves U.S. citizens," Rodriguez said at the main U.S. base, Bagram.

A day earlier, more than 150 American soldiers in Iraq were sworn in as U.S. citizens during a ceremony at the Balad Air Base in Balad, north of Baghdad.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071112/ap_on_re_as/afghan_citizen_ceremony;_ylt=AvOzCDb5pSJl8KOMjEUafOys0NUE

[JeffR]

1. What better way to honor these new Americans than to

bring them home now?

[DCKit]

2. What better way to staff the armed forces than to offer citizenship to foreign nationals?

Didn't the Romans do the same? It worked out GREAT for them too!!!

[Selatius]

4. Yeah, the Romans used the exact same technique.

They couldn't find enough people to staff their legions because fewer and fewer people were willing to serve, so they hired foreign nationals to replace the ranks and rewarded citizenship to those who demonstrated loyalty and honor. Sometimes, the nationals would defect and fight against the Roman Empire using the same tactics taught to them by the Romans, but most of these nationals don't pose an immediate threat of turning against the US, unless we've done something to offend them like invade or occupy their country, but I doubt we'll be hiring Iraqi, Iranian, or Afghani nationals to staff the US military anytime soon.

[EFerrari]

3. Why does this remind me of the "You catch it, you keep it!" sketch?

I hope everyone of them comes home.