OlderAngelina Jolie: We Have a Moral Obligation to Help Iraqi Refugees
We have finally reached a point where humanitarian assistance, from us and others, can have an impact.
UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie visited Iraq earlier this month and penned her experience for The Washington Post.
Here are some excerpts from Angie’s excellent opinion piece: “During my trip I also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has announced the creation of a new committee to oversee issues related to internally displaced people, and a pledge of $40 million to support the effort.
“My visit left me even more deeply convinced that we not only have a moral obligation to help displaced Iraqi families, but also a serious, long-term, national security interest in ending this crisis.
“Today’s humanitarian crisis in Iraq — and the potential consequences for our national security — are great. Can the United States afford to gamble that 4 million or more poor and displaced people, in the heart of Middle East, won’t explode in violent desperation, sending the whole region into further disorder?”
Read the full article at WashingtonPost.com.
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588 Comments
I was wrong..dakota jean is the real winner for dumbest post.
Everyone has a right to act and look stupid, don’t make it less stupid because you have the right. JMHO
I’m proud to be Angelina’s fan. I think this is a very well written opinion and I concur with her assessment of the refugee situation. I’m not pro war by any means but the fact remains that the U.S. needs to clean up the havoc it’s created in Iraq.
And, by sheer virtue of being penned by Angelina Jolie, this opinion will travel the world over and will be read by millions of people. IMO, it helps by pressuring the U.S. presidential candidates to state their position on the Iraq refugee crisis . . . it is already all over the blogs and many tabloid magazines (which cater for the most part to a dumb demographic) reaching people that usually are more prone to pick up and read a gossip magazine than a newspaper. ONLY ANGELINA could accomplish this.
dina #1
# 245 Felinelilly
It was after his second trip to Darfur. He had a press conference where he was asked some questions and didn’t know the answers to them. Plus the delegates were upset that he had called the press conference as if to inform them about what was happening in Darfur. The inference being that after two visits he felt compelled to lecture them. I can’t remember everything as GC is not one of my favorite people. To put it bluntly I don’t like him. JJ has it still in archives. Peace
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I remember the press conference being kind of crazy when he got there, but I didn’t know what happened during. Thanks. :) That’s embarassing!
It’s not her ROLE as UN goodwill ambassador to encourage US to stay in Iraq or to set US foreign policy as an occupying MILITARY force in the world.
nygal
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You can slap whatever label on it you want, it still needs to be DONE. They used to call it ‘rebuilding’, so pick that label if that’s what sits better with you.
hmmm
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You need to be reminded that several other countries have lost many soldiers lives in the Middle East - Canadians in Afghanistan for one. Your country is the one who is starting the wars, and yet other countries have remained to fight. Don’t fool yourself that yours is the only country making sacrifices.
shut up @ 02/28/2008 at 5:13 pm
What an uneducated dummy you are. Angie was in Iraq and Syria just 6 months ago.
When was your last trip there? Never of course.
dumb azz Margot…she has stated on many occasions she loves her father, she does not hate him, she wishes him the best. The fact that he abandoned his children at 6 mos and 3 yrs old and has no relationship with them to this day, is HIS fault..not Angelina’s, you idiot. She is showing her mettle and her maturity by not being around poisonous people and unhealthy relationships …what’s your rational Margot for angie reaching out once again and setting herself up for disappointment..and this time, having her own children hurt by him perhaps. He’s a flake and a drama queen, she owes him nothing. He had his chance. Only the bitter irrational jealous fanistons have the audacity to take the side of a dead beat dad who left his family and most of the time skipped child support payments..I honestly think these angry old bags hate the beautiful angie so much they’d side with hitler against her. rational logic just goes right out the window. Bizarrely enuf, the woman that gave birth, raised, clothed, and fed Maniston to 21, is living like a homeless person banished from her ugly daughters life..yet maniston is the nice girl next door in their eyes..in what world does that even approach logic?? Oh the fugly bitter jealous ‘Wargo’ world, I forgot. lolol
…and dear coal..I’ve been here all day, and have not only commented several times on angie’s piece….I emailed JJ to put it up…so if I want to relay that Owen Wilson wants Maniston off his dog movie, I can.
lighten up.
I am selling my 2 new mint copies of the People mag spread on eBay if anyone is interested ( sorry for the spam!, need grad school money) under KeysMama
I am so proud to be a fan of hers.
Angie has the right to write an article and voice her opinion just like anyone else in the US. As I recall, this is a free country and each one of us can voice our opinions. Her article is a lot better then that tabloid article from ABC.com.
GO ANGIE!!!!!!!
One more comment; she is right about people being displaced and homeless being right picking for terrorist groups. Especially when there are a large number of children involved. I see that her heart is focused on the children. Now that does not sound like a depressed, mentally unbalanced person. She wants to make a difference in the world. Great article.
yikes
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It is her roll, however, to go to these places, observe and speak with the refugees (and soldiers in this instance), and then provide her observations and suggestions in an effort to bring awareness to the issue. That is NOT considered ’setting policy’. Some of you like to throw around very official sounding language without understanding exactly what it means or entails.
dummies ahoy @ 02/28/2008 at 6:09 pm
shut up @ 02/28/2008 at 5:13 pm
What an uneducated dummy you are. Angie was in Iraq and Syria just 6 months ago.
When was your last trip there? Never of course.
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Actually I have visited the middle east.. the question is have you?or are you just a bully online?
Fefe,
I see you here…I stopped by to say bonsoir…I gotta go get some sleep…and I’m looking forward to our date…enjoy your day tomorrow…get some rest…you’re gonna need it…haha
IRAQ is overflowing with oil, which now costs over $100 per barrel.
Do you really think the US will get out of Iraq?
If the US pulls out of Iraq, chaos will follow, there will be civil war in Iraq, Iran will invade Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich nations may get involved, oil shoots up to $1000 per barrel, US economy will suffer, unemployment will rise, Al-qaeda will attack US and then US military goes back to the MIddle East to fight.
Re: 296 yikes @ 02/28/2008 at 5:58 pm
“So either she agreed to that headline, in which case she’d better quit working for the UN, or somebody at the Washington Post owes her a major apology - preferably in print.”
Depending on the newspaper if a newspaper article is not an OpEd piece, the newspaper editors have total control over sentences, titles and final say. The reasoning is because many free lancers, regular salaried reporters plus ad space contribute to the making of the total that every character space is important and number of characters in any one article is limited to fit into a format. News related paper text are on a deadline and often many articles don’t even make the final cut because editing, cutting and re-formating is done at a hectic pace. A free lancing writer submits an article and the text could be totally revised, chopped up at time of print or totally omitted. Once submitted to the newspaper, they own it and can do what they want with it, consequently no apologies unless factual and statistical corrections. They decide where it is placed, whose article can be longer than another, and the worthiness of the article. You don’t even get your original article returned to you regardless if it is chosen to be printed or not.
dakota jean @ 02/28/2008 at 6:02 pm
Another of the ignorant uneducated rears it’s empty head. Angelina clearly totally loves all her children, no matter their genetic origination. Anyone who has managed to attain the most basic level of education sees that she is a wonderful mom with endless love for all her kids. She will also dearly love her soon to be new child and all the other future kids she and Brad bring into their family.
Really irritates you that she is pregnant once again with Brad’s baby doesn’t it?
Put down Life & Lies and In Touch, attend some adult education classes, then pick up some legitmate news sources and learn the truth. Ignorance is not bliss.
#300 dakota jean @ 02/28/2008 at 6:02 pm Angelina has a moral obligation to love her bio children as much as she loves and dotes on her adopted ones.
Just my opinion. Everyone has a right to one….
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of course you are enitled to your opinion, no matter how stupid. tha’ts the beauty of democracy, everyones’ entitiled. If you put down those rags and start reading angies op-ed piece, guess what? You might learn something new! and not come accross as STUPID!
Cook,
LOL Bonsoir. See you tomorrow. :)
black @ 02/28/2008 at 5:52 pm
——————-listen up——————–
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Your problem is, you think that the tiny little space you occupy in YOUR world - including the people that populate it; the places you go; the tabs you read; the issues that occupy your little brain (if any); the school you attend, if any; the stores you shop; the things you buy; the crap you eat; etc. - you get the drift…………you think that THAT constitutes the great big world we all live in.
You sad little thing. i can only imagine the size of your imagination, your worldview, etc.
Dont be a prisoner in your own tiny little area of the universe, little one.
And so, given that your premiss was oh so wrong, need i explain how wrong, therefore, is the rest of your pathetic little post?
#223 and #237: francesca or whatever your other names are, cover your ears if you don’t want to hear bad words. Tape your mouth while you’re at it cause I bet you can pour out a mean bluestreak yourself especially when you see Angelina getting praises.
Incidentally, just who the he** are you to preach about morals and tell people what to say here? Who died and elected you pope? You are a disgusting hypocrite. Preaching about immorality when your judgemental monumental ass is on a blog site spreading bile.
This is not the first time you have voiced your manic rants nor will it be the last (you envious jealous hag!). You f*cking sin everytime you rave about other people’s transgressions yourself so quit with the f*cking sermon and STFU!
shut up @ 02/28/2008 at 6:17 pm
Yes I have, several times in fact, and I agree with Angelina, angry homeless displaced people become angry homeless displaced people who sometimes carry out horrific acts. Look no further than the prime example of the Palestinian people who were removed from their homes and now are angry homeless displaced frustrated people many years later. Iraq is sadly on the way to becoming another Israel-Palestine war zone due to Bush’s folly. He will live the high life in Dallas while many more people die due to him, not that he cares.
shut up
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If you have in fact done so, then why not offer an intelligent opinion about the issue at hand, and your experience in the Middle East and what you saw, instead of a personal attack on the person writing the article? Unless of course you’re bluffing… just sayin’.
black
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Which is exactly why you have the right to not come to this site, can change the channel on the television, or not read articles that get on your nerves right? Amazing what freedom of choice you have! I think someone even fought and died for your right to do so. Also, none of the fans here are pretending to know her personally, but we do know a lot ABOUT her, what she has accomplished, and what she stands for.
#111
cook @ 02/28/2008 at 3:47 pm US Military personnel have ‘DAY JOBS and SPECIALTIES’ when they aren’t at war…They are engineers, electricians, communication and cable installers, building contructors, and thousands of skills etc., apt and competent to put back and enhance what’s been destroyed…Some of the money being used currently for the war can be reallocated for the reconstruction and direct aid (food, medical, clothing, travel) to the displaced…It can be done.
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Thank you - my brother is almost 20 years in the military and according to him, alot of military personnel agree with Angie’s views on this situation. We need to stick around and help rebuild now or it will come back to bite us later.
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