Filipinos forced to work in Iraq on US embassy

[Winston]

That aint an outsider's account

Yes it is. It's obvious to me he's giving his imagination free reign when in reality, he hadn't the slightest idea what was going on on that plane. That is, if anything significant was actually going on, which I doubt. He mentions one steward "having trouble", but nonetheless that one steward apparently succeeded in solving the "trouble" caused by 51 people desperately wanting to get off. Impressive, I have to say. He ought to be given a handsome raise.

The only substantial thing he has is that the boarding passes said Dubai instead of Baghdad, which I've already addressed and tried to plausibly explain. The rest is just him guessing what the other passengers where thinking and doing. And his own boarding pass said Dubai also, were they planning on forcing him to walk the embassy's mascot poodle?

This is just another variation on all the trite conspiracy theories that you guys seem to love so much. I wish you'd have the heart to keep the rest of us out of all this nonsense.

Now, I'll be going offline for a good while. I'll check in later.

[Berzerker]

he knew he was heading for Baghdad, they didn't. Its funny you say his view is that of an outsider when you're telling me was confused about what was happening on the plane. He was there, you weren't.

[Patroklos]

he knew he was heading for Baghdad, they didn't. Its funny you say his view is that of an outsider when you're telling me was confused about what was happening on the plane. He was there, you weren't.

Divorced from the current debate, I have this saved for any number of important subjects where you just admitted my opinion trumps yours.

[Az]

OMFGLOL. Army contractors are *******s - stop the presses. Seriously, with the amount of **** american military contractors feed the US Army and the other branches, I wouldn't be surprised with ANYTHING.

Was the contractor a Kuwaiti jew?

[Winston]

he knew he was heading for Baghdad, they didn't.

How do you know they didn't? Because Mayberry, an outsider to the group, says so. Sorry, but it just doesn't fly.

As backup, he says that their boarding passes were marked Dubai and that they were alarmed when they "found out" that they were going to Baghdad. Well all the passes said Dubai, not just those of the group, so obviously it wasn't to fraud them, it was for fear of infiltrators at the airport obtaining personal information on who was going to Iraq, as I suggested earlier.

And just how would a large group of people suddenly "find out" aboard a plane on the tarmac that their real destination is Baghdad, when they hadn't in the hours, days and months prior to entering the plane?

This Mayberry dude is fantasizing, and frankly you're a fool to accept his account and personal impressions without any corroborative evidence or even indications that he's right, like, oh I don't know, a complaint from one or more of his mistreated co-passengers, hm?

[Patroklos]

And just how would a large group of people suddenly "find out" aboard a plane on the tarmac that their real destination is Baghdad, when they hadn't in the hours, days and months prior to entering the plane?

Thats a good question. Perhaps the captian announced "we will be arriving in Baghdad in two hours, the weather is sunny and clear..."

[snoopy369]

Does he speak Filipino? That would be the one interesting question here I think.

However I would be very surprised to hear a complaint from one of the Filipinos. It is common for workers in their situation to say nothing, for fear of reprisals; they are still making far more than they could otherwise, and helping their family to survive. The lack of complaint by them is not indicative of any lack of a problem.

That said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, so I'd certainly like to see more evidence of this than just one guy, also. Though it wouldn't shock me to find out this was happening.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Does he speak Filipino?

Tagalog?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Does he speak Filipino?

Considering its history as a US colony, I imagine they spoke English.

[Patroklos]

Considering its history as a US colony, I imagine they spoke English.

Nah, most of my Filipino friends' parents didn't speak English until they got here.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Slaughtermeyer
I doubt the Filipinos are in any position to file any kind of complaint.

Remember when Lancer was trying to gather support for one of Dolores's cousins, who was being being abused in Dubai (I believe it was), i.e. locked up, not paid, threatened with beatings.

[Berzerker]

Divorced from the current debate, I have this saved for any number of important subjects where you just admitted my opinion trumps yours.

Gee, I always thought an eyewitness' account trumps the opinion of someone who wasn't there. But if you're talking about your opinions of Iraq, your problem aint my opinion, just the conflicting opinions of others who've been there.

How do you know they didn't? Because Mayberry, an outsider to the group, says so. Sorry, but it just doesn't fly.

Ah, he was an outsider to the group, not an outsider to the event like us. So it is your opinion these workers knew they were going to Baghdad and this guy is ignorant? Yeah, Dubai boarding passes and a ban on entering Iraq...it all adds up, these guys on the plane just grew nervous about flying, not about their destination.

[Berzerker]

He says when he arrived in Baghdad he notified the State Department official in charge of the embassy project about what had happened on his flight and she replied "that’s the way they do it."

Either he's lying or thats at least 2 people privy to the bait and switch.

[Winston]

Originally posted by Berzerker

He says when he arrived in Baghdad he notified the State Department official in charge of the embassy project about what had happened on his flight and she replied "that’s the way they do it."

Either he's lying or thats at least 2 people privy to the bait and switch.

Or both you and Mayberry are misinterpreting this contextually highly detached statement, which could have been meant as any of a million other things than what you prefer to think. By far the most obvious of these being "Yes, they put Dubai instead of Baghdad for security reasons. That's the way they do it. Have a nice day and quit wasting my time you loony person."

The hypothetical you're projecting into it is way, way down the list. Certainly until Mayberry's rash allegations are corroborated by something that actually has any substance.

But I do agree that there's a distinct possibility he's lying. I'm pleased to see that you've considered it also. I just wish your natural skepticism towards stories like these would be a little more.. pronounced.

[Lancer]

I'm sure Filipinos would work pretty much anywhere without being misled and without the permition of their government. For that reason this story seems odd.