Fox News reports that an Iraqi translator (interpreter?) has been denied a visa to live in the USA because he was involved in attempting to overthrow a government, i.e. that of Saddam Hussein. He saved the lives of a number of American soldiers. In particular, he stole Uday Hussein’s car, which is being defined as a (non-political) felony barring his admission.
Jasim, whose name is being withheld for his safety, has received strong support from the U.S. military, and the Department of Homeland Security approved his application for a visa. But the State Department has denied Jasim a visa because he was arrested in 1996 for actions against the Saddam dictatorship.
There may be more to this murky story: ‘Jasim’ is regarded as a nuisance because he has spoken up against poor treatment of Iraqi translators. See Fox News for (a lot) more details, including a PDF file of letters recommending he be given a visa.
(Thanks to Derek at flefo.org)