December 03, 2007
The Army Makes a Fool of Itself ... Monday Edition
Abu Muqawama hates when stories like this make the news over here on the other side of the pond. He wants someone in Washington to just wave a magic wand and make them go away: "What's that? You have an irregularity with your immigration paperwork yet have served bravely while fighting for your country? No problem, here's your pardon. Don't screw up again."
Something like that. Is that too much to ask?
A highly decorated Arab-American sergeant in the US army, who is currently serving as a paratrooper in Afghanistan, faces deportation on his return to the United States because of an irregularity in his immigration papers.
Sgt Hicham Benkabbou has been served with an order to stand trial for deportation as soon as he arrives home, despite the fact that he has been on active service in Afghanistan for almost two years with the 508th parachute infantry regiment, known as the Red Devils.