Posted on 06/22/2006 4:22:57 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
The U.S. Military Academy is welcoming its first cadet from Iraq, a 19-year-old who wants serve his country's army after witnessing violence in Baghdad.
Incoming Cadet Jameel acknowledged Thursday that attending West Point posed potential dangers to him and his family in Iraq. But he said it was worth it for a chance to serve at the school, which he called "the best military academy in the world."
Jameel was interviewed on the condition his first name be withheld and no pictures were allowed. West Point officials said the conditions were set by the U.S. Army to provide security for the cadet and his family.
"If you live in Iraq, you get this determination with everyone you see dying in front of your eyes and every child slaughtered," said Jameel, whose school in Iraq was once struck with an improvised explosive device.
"You are at risk when you're walking down the street," he said. "It's better to die holding a rifle than to die walking down the street as a civilian."
Jameel comes to West Point under a long-running program that allows foreign students to come to the U.S. service academies. The Air Force Academy also is taking in an Iraqi citizen this year.
West Point is taking in 13 other foreign students this summer from counties including Cameroon, Malaysia, Rwanda and Thailand. The Air Force Academy in Colorado enrolled 20 international cadets this year, including the first from Iraq and Afghanistan. And the U.S. Naval Academy is taking in 12 international midshipmen.
The international slots, set by law, do not take opportunities away from domestic students, said Maj. Robert Romans, head of the academy's international cadet program.
Jameel on Monday will begin West Point's six-week basic training course with 1,320 other incoming cadets. Jameel says he's ready for the grueling ordeal, which includes long runs, longer marches, drilling and a lot of orders shouted in candidates' ears.
Romans said Jameel was one of four Iraqi candidates but the only one admitted. Jameel, who comes from a family steeped in military service, said his parents supported his choice.
He risked his safety during the application process by routinely traveling to a U.S. military compound in Baghdad to work on a training regimen of running, push-ups and sit-ups, Romans said.
Jameel plans to major in engineering and join the Iraqi military after graduation. He also hopes to someday meet President Bush, whom his family considers a hero after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.
"I'm going to help rebuild the Iraqi army because most of the officers now in the Iraqi army, they are not very well qualified," Jameel said. "I'll try to transfer what I learn here."
So an American kid got bumped in order to send a foreignor to the Point? Barf.
No. He's not going to be a U.S. officer -- so he's not slotted against U.S. authorizations. This is "in addition to" not "instead of".
No- there are slots set aside above the number for US citizens. My nephew attended with quite a few foreign cadets, mainly from Eastern Europe and the former USSR.
These foreign cadets are the "rock stars" of their respective militaries. They often end up in positions of great influence, and are typically important liasions between our nation and theirs. It is a good program that helps the US look after its interests around the world.
-ccm
I hope we screen these guys very carefully. We don't want to train Wahhabists to lead others against us!
Don't care what the law is; West Point should be for Americans only in my opinion.
Don't care what the law is;...
We're going to train their army leadership one way or the other if we're ever going to get out of there. We basically have signed on to build their army such that they can defend themselves from their neighbors. If their military is ever going to be self-sustaining that requires Iraq's military to have some decent leadership. As long as we screened the kid, it makes sense to me.
We can pay to train Iraq's future generals here or we can pay our generals to run their army. At this point, these are pretty much our options.
Well, it's a good thing that your opinion on this issue doesn't matter.
My own class, 1986, had two outstanding foreign cadets--from Costa Rica and the Philippines.
You didn't read it right. It said, and I quote, "The International spots set by law DO NOT take opportunities away from domestic students, said Maj. Robert Romans, head of the acacademy's international cadet program."
Sorry, add post #15.
Anyone that can just get into West Point is a friend of mine. Somewhere in a different life I was involved with people getting in there. Believe me, it is tough.
Well, I was gonna, but you took so durn long to push the 'Post' button I just had to go on without ya! LOL
I have to chime in on this one. I don't like the fact America PAYS 100% for the military training and higher education of illegal aliens on US soil who have the intentions of serving a foreign country. If not treason... it's pretty close.
Stop trying to hijack this thread and turn it into one of the countless immigration b*tch fests.
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