By Troy Torres
A private sector movement to convince Washington to make Guam the lynchpin for the largest humanitarian refugee movement to the island since the Kurds during the Gutierrez administration brings its case to the Guam Legislature Thursday morning.
Kandit will be covering the historic event live.
Four movers and shakers from a consortium of nationally-recognized groups of patriots - all of whom have their ear to the ground in the nation's capital on issues such as these - will join (virtually) Guam businessman Peter Sgro, Jr., President of International Group, Inc and Visionary and Creator of GRMC at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Guam Congress Building with Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes. Ms. Muna Barnes has joined Congressman Michael San Nicolas and Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero in supporting the potential move of Afghans, who helped U.S. troops during the lengthy war in Afghanistan, into the United States via Guam.
At stake are the lives of more than 10,000 skilled and educated Afghans, who already are targets of the Taliban and like groups to be hunted and killed once U.S. troops are withdrawn from the country. Sgro, who is personally and intimately aware of the role Guam has played in the past in saving the lives of thousands of innocent refugees fleeing persecution, believes Guam can once again be a temporary staging ground for the Afghans. A bipartisan group of members of Congress, including Mr. San Nicolas, already have written to the President suggesting Guam be a temporary home for the potential refugees until they are permanently relocated within the continental United States.
"We just can’t completely withdraw and leave these patriotic refugees behind otherwise, history has shown them and their families would be tortured or killed," Mr. Sgro said. "All Afghanistan interpreters had to undergo extensive vetting before their employment with US forces and constant monitoring during their employment with US forces - to include polygraphs given at random. The vetting process was very strict not only conducted by the Department of Defense but also the intelligence community. The intelligence community involved included the CIA, FBI, NDA etc and the decision for each translator had to be unanimous."
The four panelists, who will provide valuable insight into this historic decision-making process and who will listen to input from Guam business and political leaders are:
Matt Zeller: US Army Veteran Colonel who served in Afghanistan. Matt co-founded with his translator in the US “No One Left Behind.” Was selected as a CNN Hero, is a Truman National Security Fellow, an adjunct fellow of the “American Security Project,” and a board member of “Association of War Time Allies.” It was Matt quoted in several publications as saying “Guam or Bust.”
Kim Staffireri: Executive Director & Co-Founder of Association of War Time Allies
Christopher Purdy: Manager for the “American Ideals Project” and for “Human Rights First American Ideals.”
Adam Mataty-Uhr: Advisory Board Member of the “Association of War Time Allies.”
