USA Bars Robert Fisk From Entering Country
by Doug Ireland
September 23, 2005
The internationally renowned correspodent for The Independent the great British journalist Robert Fisk has been banned from entering the United States. Fisk has been covering war zones for decades, but is above all known for his incisive reporting from the Middle East for more than 20 years. His critical coverage of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq, and the continuing occupation that has followed it, has repeatedly exposed U.S. and British government disinformation campaigns. He also has exposed how the bulk of the press reports from Iraq have been "hotel journalism" a phrase Fisk coined.
The daily New Mexican reports that "U.S. immigration officials refused Tuesday to allow Robert Fisk, longtime Middle East correspondent for the London newspaper, The Independent, to board a plane from Toronto to Denver. Fisk was on his way to Santa Fe for a sold-out appearance in the Lannan Foundation 's readings-and-conversations series Wednesday night. According to Christie Mazuera Davis, a Lannan program officer, Fisk was told that his papers were not in order. Davis made last-minute arrangements Wednesday for Amy Goodman, host of Pacifica Radio's daily news show, Democracy Now!, to interview Fisk via satellite from a television station in Toronto..."
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=43&ItemID=8800
Solve Et Coagula,
The US authorities have shown quite clearly by refusing Robert Fisk entry into the US that they are running very scared. This will no doubt be noted by some who will not be surprised,
uh brolly,
Since 9/11, entry into the US is not as easy as it once was. My friend's German brother could not enter for a visit because he didn't comply with the new regulations. The regulations are applied evenly for everyone. If Robert Fisk doesn't like it, he can take it up with bin Laden.
Blimey, IŽd missed this one.
Reminds me of when they banned Yusuf Islam aka Cat Stevens. What silly-billies there are sitting with their finger on the nuclear button!
Ttrryosborn,
This is another example of your extremely stupid comments. The only reason Robert Fisk's papers 'were not in order',is that his reporting of the facts have greatly embarrassed Tony Blair and George W.Bush. It has reached the stage in the US where the neoconservatives are running so scared of the truth getting out about Iraq that they are afraid of a well known British journalist speaking to Americans. What sort of democracy do you have there now? Sounds like the Soviet Union thirty years ago!
As for getting into the USA, tens of thousands arrive each week by air or by land from Canada, so it could be that the neoconservatives have now added Germans to their list of undesirables. I wonder who will be next, perhaps Canadians who haven’t been exactly supportive of Bush’s war.
brolly,
You don't know anything about one person's attempt to enter the US. You're just blowing steam as usual.
Immigration changed the rules early in 2005. I saw it on France2. They pointblank told listeners that without the new documentation they would not get in.
Ttrryosborn,
Are you so stupid that you can think that a prominent UK journalist, who is a foreign correspondent and has vast experience of travel and the necessary documents and who has the back up of a big British daily newspaper, would not have known about changes. You are talking crap.
No UK passport holder needs anything other than his passport to enter the USA. I will save you the trouble of checking my statement as I ahve copied the relevant passage directly from the US Embassy in london website.
"Most visitors to the United States enter the country as tourists. With the introduction of visa free travel to citizens of 27 countries, it is now possible for many travelers, including British citizens, to enter the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program (WVP). Visa free travel is also available to qualified travelers who enter the United States on business or in transit.
Citizens of the following countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom may travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program".
Only those that are not holding a full British Passport are required to obtain a visa. Robert Fisk is one hundred per cent a born and bred Britisher.
Message was edited by: brolly3
brolly,
Re-read the requirements kiddo. The visa waiver program only says someone from the UK "MAY be eligible if they meet the visa waiver program requirements". Failure to meet requirements means no pass go without a visa. Perhaps Mr. Fisk went off half-cocked like you.
