Story

"Why don't you ask him?"

David Enders, for the Pulitzer Center
Iraq

Before leaving the Middle East, there was one last thing I had to do. F., an Iraqi friend and colleague who I worked with in Baghdad and was now living in Damascus needed to get to Jordan. He had been promised a job there. The only problem is that, despite extremely rare exceptions, Jordan has closed its borders to Iraqis.

Iraqis refer to it as "rent-a-whitey." In Baghdad, I used to do it for people when they had to deal with the American military. It was no secret that the US military would take an Iraqi accompanied by an American much more seriously than an Iraqi alone. (This included, at one point, walking toward a snipers' nest with my passport raised above my head, shouting, "I'm an American journalist.")

Iraqis refer to it as "rent-a-whitey." In Baghdad, I used to do it for people when they had to deal with the American military. It was no secret that the US military would take an Iraqi accompanied by an American much more seriously than an Iraqi alone. (This included, at one point, walking toward a snipers' nest with my passport raised above my head, shouting, "I'm an American journalist.")

A year ago, this same principal applied on the Jordanian border. Thought Jordan had already begun turning Iraqis away, there was still some flexibility, and I was able to get another colleague across. This time, there was no flexibility.

F. was not the only one. During the time we were at the border, none of the dozen Iraqis who tried to cross were accepted. No reason was given, their passports were just simply stamped with

After his passport was graced with stamp informing him of his rejection, F. and I decided to argue anyway with the officer on duty.

"What is the problem?" F. asked. "Why won't you let us in? we are just people."

"Why don't you ask him?" the border official replied, looking at me. Many Jordanians blame Iraqis for not fighting for Saddam and then for not resisting the invasion and occupation. Therefore, the refugee problem is Iraqis' fault for allowing Saddam's government to be overthrown in the first place.

F. considered replying that the Jordanian government exists only because of support from the American government, but then thought better of further offending a security officer in a country in which he has no rights.

So I left F. there at the border and continued on to Amman. As we exited the final checkpoint at the border, one of the Jordanian soldiers, smirking, handed me back my passport and asked:

"Why do you care about an Iraqi?"