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todaviia · 2 years

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Why does it take hours to write the appeal? What's in the appeal? What's the "asylum agency", are they lawyers as well?

The "asylum agency" are the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF for short), it's the German Federal department for (among other things) vetting asylum claims. There are a lot of lawyers (as in, Juristen = people with a law degree) working there, but it's a normal administration job.

Basically in the German asylum system you first fill out an "Asylantrag" (asylum claim). In this you say where you come from and why you think you should be entitled to protection in Germany (both actual asylum - which refers to people who are personally persecuted - as well as subsidiary protection, which applies to people fleeing from general humanitarian disasters such as war).

Then the BAMF checks your asylum claim. Here is a very good English-language longform article by the Atlantic detailing how the BAMF works and what methods they use. Then they make a decision (Bescheid), which either accepts or rejects the claim (appealing it means you refuse to accept their ruling and try to overturn it).

There's TONS of problems with this. Even legitimate refugees often don't tell the truth or do so in a way that is contradictory bc we're talking about usually super traumatized ppl getting like half an hour to tell the absolute worst and often most intimate parts of their lives to a total stranger and THEN these total strangers judge whether they believe that or not.

And they can be super and I mean SUPER unfair about this. For example for the guy whose appeal I wrote today (let's call him F.), he was asked to describe his situation and he said he knew three other gay guys in his city, that they were the only people who knew about his sexuality and that they all were still closeted and still in Iraq. He gives detailed descriptions their meet-ups, their conversations, generally how they lived (it's literally all in the hearing transcript). The interviewer asked for their names. F. said their first names. The interviewer asked for their full names. F. said he doesn't know them.

In the Bescheid, it says among other things "F. was unable to give details including basic information such as names about the people who supposedly were members of the social group of people who shared his oppression. True accounts of persecution are often characterised by the fact that they are very detailed. His claim is therefore not substantiated."

We're talking about an 18-year old gay kid who just fled a country where he legitimately feared for his life because of his sexuality and who basically had to keep this part of himself secret his whole life, in a conversation with a complete stranger in a position of authority. Of course the fact that he didn't give the full names of his closest friends who still lived in that country in that situation must mean he's lying.

It also says it's contradictory and therefore unbelievable that the father would inform another family member about his son's sexuality because the fact that this would bring dishonor to the family means the father would have kept it a secret. (The "conversation" was the father convincing other male family members to join in and kill him - something which happens regularly in the country if you read up on literally any source dealing with LGBT Iraqis - often even clerics get involved to issue fatwas against them).

All in all, even if he was gay, he should have considered living anonymously in a different part of Iraq rather than come to Germany.

And what takes hours is to dig up reputable and up-to-date sources detailing the status of gay men in Iraq (Here is a heartbreaking report by Human Rights Watch btw), especially concerning the different regions of Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan for example is considered more liberal when it comes to religion, so religious minorities from Iraq just get told to move to Iraqi Kurdistan instead. However, this does NOT apply to sexuality).

Then you try to pad that with other German court decisions abt gay men in Iraq (unfortunately it's mostly lower administrative court decisions, which don't hold much weight - but the VAST majority of them accept gay men from Iraq as legitimate refugees. There's also an ECJ ruling that says gay refugees can not be expected to hide their sexuality in their country of origin, as that would not be expected of straight refugees either and therefore would be discrimination, that's why his chances are quite good bc the Bescheid literally expected that of him) The LSVD has a REALLY great compilation for all sort of different countries of origin.

And then you have to take apart the whole bullshit Bescheid, point out the logical flaws, add other stuff the refugee told you and try to come with proofs for that etc.

It takes A LOT of work.

#also you cant believe what kind of total bullshit sometimes gets written just to keep people out #the absolutely dumbest thing i ever saw was not asylum but spousal-visa related #it was abt ppl from a west african nation who got married in that nation #only to realise fun fact germany automatically assumes all documents from developing countries to be fake #even and especially if its official documents #so it didnt recognize the marriage certificate #and instead started ~verification proceedings via the embassy #(who im pretty sure has no other job except to try and keep ppl out)#they hired a lawyer to ~interview family members - he showed up unannounced at their house at 10 am on a workday #and when the neighbor informed him that the family members were at work and where they worked #he went back home and wrote that family members were not available for interview #so then the embassy wrote they believed its a fake marriage possibly between family members #who seemed to be in on not cooperating in the investigation #(the SECRET investigation which consisted of showing up announced at their house ONCE during work hours)#and that they assume the people were not spouses at all #rather family members #what compelling piece of evidence did they base this completely fucking bogus claim on?#the spouses had the same last name!#EXCEPT THE VAST MAJORITY OF MARRIAGES IN THAT COUNTRY INCLUDING THIS ONE #WAS INTRA-CLAN MARRIAGE #SURNAMES WERE INTRODUCED BY THE COLONISING POWER AND GUESS WHAT THEY JUST BASED THEM ON #if you guessed clan affiliation congratulations #you understand why the vast majority of marriages take place between ppl who had the same surname even before marriage #something which you could find out literally with one google search #or one conversation with anyone from that country #this still took like 2.5 YEARS to resolve

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cavenewstimes · 5 months

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Army uniform for rivalry Navy game honors Iraq War vets from 3rd ID

Read More Army Times In keeping with its theme from 2022, this year, the Army Black Knights football team will again sport an infantry division-themed uniform designed by Nike. “The 2023 Army West Point uniforms for the 124th Army-Navy Game tells the story of the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division during the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom,” a release said. In March of 2003, the Iraq…

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not-lobotomized · 6 months

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im sorry but i couldn't give a fuck about iraq and afghanistan war vets. maybe donating to an iraqi orphan or afghan widow will help with ur ptsd

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nijjhar · 6 months

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The Nobility of Abraham is to be appreciated if you want to know the ver... The Nobility of Abraham is to be appreciated if you want to know the very BITTER GOSPEL TRUTH. I got a strike from YouTube for disclosing it. https://youtu.be/_0W4gaw5y88 Holy Gospel of our Supernatural Father Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc., delivered by the First Anointed Christ, which in Punjabi we call Satguru Jesus of the highest living God Elohim that dwells within His Most Beautiful Living Temple of God created by the greatest artist demiurge Potter, the Lord of the Nature Yahweh, Brahma, Khudah, etc. and it is called Harmandir or “Emmanuel” according to Christ Rajinder. Remember that Christ Thomas went to South India and Preached the Gospel Truth and His Brethren used to be known as Christs and not the Christians of the Book. The Portuguese Pope went there and told them only one Christ Jesus and they could not call themselves Christs. So, he burnt them alive and they had to leave their prosperous businesses to hide in the hills. Jesus made us solitary Free Royal Priests and we do not follow anyone but seek His Word by listening to everyone and vetting them in the holy spirit, which is common sense gifted to the illiterate people and not to the University Professors of Theology otherwise the Angels would have broken the Good News of the Birth of Jesus, the Anointed Christ to the University Professors but they didn't. So, you cannot learn the Gospel Truth from the University Professors of Theology of the dead letters lacking the holy spirit to interpret them and I call them super donkeys carrying the Holy Books. I have produced a playlist on the Chosen People and the Gospel being the bitter Pill not everybody can take it on YouTube. So, all my videos are PRIVATE and I have provided links to them. On YouTube, they remove my videos and give me a strike. I am facing the same situation that Jesus was facing in the Temple rejected by those Dog-Collared Priests. Here are YouTube video links to see how you could help me. www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/nobility.htm. Atomic war could be soon after 14/11/2023. Before this happens, Israel is supposed to attack Iran. A Testimony by an American Soldier:- Youtube channel - Truthsoldier I served in the satanic Iraq war. I openly am shamed for that and I asked for forgiveness for taking part in that war. I actually had my awakening while over in Iraq. My eyes were opened to the injustice of that war. The Iraqi people loved Saddam; they had whole stories with nothing but Saddam’s face on everything. Since then I have been speaking out against the US and ISRAEL on my Youtube channel. Here is my contribution:- Holy spirit, common sense, shatters the fetters of the dead letters, the Holy Books. If we have One God, our Supernatural Father of our souls, then there should be one Faith. In Christianity, Jesus said One Fold called the Church of God headed by One Shepherd, our Bridegroom Christ Jesus/Christ = Satguru Nanak Dev Ji, the Second coming of Jesus. Books:- ONE GOD ONE FAITH:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/bookfin.pdf Greatest Blasphemers and Killers Blair and Bush https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qHdTpTXHvE&list=PL0C8AFaJhsWz7HtQEhV91eAKugUw73PW1 SHARM DHARM DOYAE SHAPP KHOLOYAE KOORR PHIRAE PARDHAAN VAE LALO. People of South India are true Hindus and they have the SHARM of their families or Salt of their families and they have DHARM. That is why no Bhagat was needed there except when Satguru Thomas visited and transformed people into Christianity in which you go by heart and not by the forbidden Jewish Leaven Book, called the Bible. This time of Kalyug has been defined by Christ Nanak:- All the Glory to our Father in honour of our anointed Elder Brother Christ Jesus, who introduced to us our Father through His Word. We are solitary Christ from above in Christ Jesus, the True Vine planted by our Father Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc. PAWANN (REVELATION) ARANBHH (BEGINNING) SATGUR (SAT = THE BOTTOM LINE GOSPEL TRUTH, THE ROCK OVER WHICH THE TEMPLE OF GOD STANDS AND GUR MEANS TARIKA = FORMULA, WHICH IS LOGICAL REASONING THAT YOU YOURSELF HAVE TO DO) MATT (WISDOM OR WAY OF LIFE) WAILA (TIME); SHABD (END PRODUCT = NECTAR OF THE LOGICAL REASONING CALLED LOGO = HIS WORD) GURU = TEACHER; SURAT (COMMON SENSE) DHUNN CHAELA (A DEVOTED STUDENT). That is, the Gospel cannot be written down in ink on paper as the Scriptures, the Milk for the once-born babies is. Gospel is the Flesh of Jesus and Nanak or what came out of their mouths. In India, the crooks were imitating the Gospel and for this reason, Satguru Arjan Dev Ji got one written under his supervision in which every Saint and Satguru himself appeared and spoke that the Scribe Bhai Gurdass Ji sitting in another tent wrote. Each page was signed by Satguru Arjun Dev Ji. The one who was sent to get it bound diligently copied it and presented two Holy Books called Ad-Granth; Satguru Arjan Dev Ji rejected the copied version and said that the John's baptism:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/johnsig.pdf Trinity:- www.gnosticgospel.co.uk/trinity.pdf

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malialaka · 2 years

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For the faint heart, if you understand chemistry, microbiology and oceanography; you’ll understand the posts…2) koloa moolelo study by uncle Wyllie who died for us, Australia keeps his institute. 3) Ke’e for House of Laka , Na Kahiko was by uncle Pila ( bless him to he and uncle Emory saved as much as they could before more looting, the state though would not ask permission or follow laws back then) that would invited Randy and I later introduce Randy to my younger cousins just returning from college (his thing was trying to getting Aunty Stella to like him -he passed 🤣🤪🤓 people get the brothers mixed up, those one treads lightly because the items ate critical. WE ARE SUPER RARE, and so are items by dated carbon. The last 2-Pohakuloa, each a blessing seperate storage as stated. Formander tells you in 16. This is why not all beach gowers or land owners are not liked, those who know tell you. Real Estate Agent didn’t tell them. ʻO nā mea a pau a mākou e ʻike ai ua hui ʻia i kahi papa ma luna o kahi papa ma kahi manawa papa. ua like ia me kahi lumi hale lole me ka lawelawe ʻana a puni kahi ala wai nui. ʻo kēlā me kēia kualono like, he pā pōkole. he puka e komo ai mai ka akau mai. he puka mai ka hema a haʻalele. to heiau to bank. waihona mea hana. waihona meaʻai pulu, waihona meaʻai maloʻo. kapa ʻohi ʻohi. he keena pule. lumi oki. lumi hui. ʻohi iʻa. ʻauʻau pēpē. kalo a i ʻole nā mea ʻē aʻe. wahine hale maemae. kanaka maemae hale. i ka hale noho. ʻaʻole nā kānaka ʻai. makemake lākou i ka mana i loko. nā hormones a me ka DNA. aka, no ka wahine kuhina ka mana. makuahine o ke keiki. kauna e aʻo ai. he wahi no ka malihini moku, a me na makana i ko lakou komo ana. kaʻapuni lākou a puni ka mokupuni mai ka ʻākau. e ʻōlelo aloha a ʻike ʻia. Oli inoa . For Kalamaku a kahea, #reflectionofthepasts From @thewestkauai binders For @savekoloa #konohikirestorationproject @protectmaunakea i would like the Iraqi war to understand the response for military commands customary marine rights protocal. All military native and native follows the Mariners law. My Hawaiian Captains are all Vets Surf and Waa and grandpas. Ask them nicely and they might tell you. [Society / State ] (at Kauai) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc9JaWwpZ7j/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#reflectionofthepasts #konohikirestorationproject

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melwilson · 3 years

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Good For You - B.B.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Rating: Modern AU. Kinda angsty, Fluff

Warnings: Mentions of ptsd, suicide, anxiety

A/N: I wrote this in honor of our beloved Bucky’s birthday (yes, this is a few days late) I also just think it’s important to recognize the struggle that war vets go through on the daily. As someone who had family in the military, it sucks to watch them come home and not know how to live a civilian life. What is portrayed in this imagine is not the life of every vet, but the truth is...most are struggling. They’ve seen and done things that no one should ever have to, but they do it so we as civilians don’t have to and can live freely. veterans deserve the world. be kind.

Torrid. Sweltering. Iraqi heat.

The low rumble of a humvee. Buzzing flies.

Grumbled complaints, laughter following.

Cold steel of a semi-automatic.

Silence.

A high-pitched ringing. Smoke. Panic.

Hot sand. Flashes of light. Pain.

“Sergeant L/n...L/n...Y/n...”

“Y/n, hey. You alright?”

You blinked once. Twice. A third time before you finally came to yourself. A sharp breath passed between your lips, your eyes locking with a pair of warm brown ones. It had been months since your last flashback thanks to your weekly meetings with former Air Force pilot, Sam Wilson. He had approached you at the VA after he spotted you trying to sneak out. Bathroom or an exit strategy, you couldn’t really tell the difference. You had only gone to the meeting because your brother thought it might be good for you to attend one. There was a lot rolling around in your head. There was a burden you were carrying that no one could carry alone. Your brother knew that and if you wouldn’t open up to him maybe you would open up to someone who could relate to you. Months later you were thanking him for pushing you to go because there you had met your best friend and confidant. Sam was a light in your life when you never thought you would see light again. After getting back state side, he took it upon himself to help new war veterans. Though it took you awhile to warm up to him, you were grateful to talk to someone with shared life experience.

“Flashback?” Sam asked, his voice understanding. In the first few months of your meetings, you couldn’t go a day without seeing what had happened. It haunted you and no matter how hard you tried you couldn’t outrun it. So you stopped trying. For awhile it felt as if you were drowning. You were too tired and the surface was too far. You were in so deep that there was no sunlight to guide you back. But slowly, your sessions with Sam allowed light to penetrate the surface. Each session allowed the light to go a little deeper guiding you up until you could grab onto Sam’s hand and he could help you up the rest of the way.

“Yeah...but I’m good.” Your voice was firm. Believable. To anyone else they would have moved on and changed the subject. Sam had gotten good at reading you. Your eyes told the story your lips refused to tell. “What were you saying?”

He nodded, shifting in his seat. “There’s a group meeting tonight. You don’t have to talk, but I think you should come. The people there...are good people.”

Your eyes glanced over the brick building that held the stories of many men and women who had been neglected by their country. Men and women who deserved better. You sighed as you pulled open the glass door, the solemn atmosphere hanging over you like a cloud. It didn’t matter that the sun was shining brightly through the windows, the things that were shared were anything but bright and uplifting. You stuffed your hands into the pockets of your jean jacket, your feet padding softly against the tile floor. The smell of coffee filled your nostrils as you rounded the corner into Sam’s room. He sent you a smile and a wave from where he was standing across the room. You returned the smile before grabbing a styrofoam cup and filling it with the warm liquid. Slowly, the room began to fill with veterans who usually had to fight the war going on in their heads alone. But for two hours, they were able to fight alongside those who understood. Those like you.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Sam said, his shoulder brushing your own. He grabbed his own cup, filling it coffee, neglecting cream and sugar.

“I am too.”

You sat silently towards the back the room, listening intently to what was being shared and the bits of wisdom Sam threw out for the taking. He was such an easy-going, caring person. He was easy to talk to, never judged. There was a sincerity in his eyes that deemed him trustworthy. That’s why so many people liked him.

So far only four out of the twelve in attendance had shared. Steve- a tall, blonde, former seal who served six tours located all over the world. He was the physical embodiment of a soldier. You had seen him around the VA and Sam’s place before. He was kind, but his eyes held the weight of one who had seen too much. Tony- a marine whose story surprised you. He was smart and came from a wealthy family. He joined the military because taking over his family’s business didn’t appeal to him. He was quick witted and had a cocky smirk that made everyone roll their eyes. Natasha- A fiery red head who served as a Navy intelligence officer. She now worked in the private security business, but carried around a load of baggage from her days in the military. Clint- Former army sniper who retired after nearly being killed. He decided it was time to throw in the towel before he left his wife a widow and his three kids without a dad.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, we have someone new tonight,” Sam mentioned. He held out his hand to a man sitting on the left of Steve. There was a ball cap atop his head, his shoulder length hair tucked behind his ears. He sported a brown jacket on top of a worn, red henley that was much too tight for his frame, dark blue jeans, a pair of black combat boots. “This is James, aka Bucky. It took a lot to get him to agree to show up, so please make him feel welcome. Let’s take a break.”

Soon the room filled with low chatter and Sam’s presence was felt behind you.

“Army vet,” he muttered shortly. “Five tours. He’s been home for a year cooped up in his apartment dealing with his mess. It’s torn him apart. You should go talk to him.”

You turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

“You’d be good for him,” Sam replied. He’d be good for you too.

Before you could object, Sam had pushed you in Bucky’s direction. You turned around, subtly flipping him off before taking a seat next to the brown-haired man. He glanced at you and you offered him a small smile.

“I, um, just wanted to introduce myself,” you said softly. “I’m Y/n.” You extended your hand, which he took hesitantly.

“James,” he muttered back. “Do you come to these often?”

You nodded, pulling your hand back, your fingers grazing over the callouses on James’ palm. “Sam forces me to. I don’t really have a choice.” An airy chuckle passed through your lips. “They help though,” you added, “If that’s what you’re really wanting to ask. I’m not a very open person either. Coming home with no purpose, no orders, and with what was going on inside my head...was detrimental. It’s not overstating things to say that Sam saved my life. I was hesitant to come too, but it was worth it. I’m here.” I’m alive.

He tilted his head up slightly, his eyes bouncing around the room nervously.

“I talked to Sam privately. I don’t feel comfortable talking in front of a group like this.”

“Does it have to be Sam?” He asked. “Like can I maybe talk to you?”

You were taken aback by his question, your eyes widening in surprise. Everyday was an uphill battle to keep your thoughts under control. Trying to help someone else with their trauma was a huge step. A step Sam had been urging you to take. “Me?”

“You don’t have to,” James rushed, “you just seem...nice.”

“No, no, It’s okay, We can grab coffee somewhere, or meet here.”

“What about you’re place?” James suggested.

You nodded. “Yeah, yeah. That sounds great. How does tomorrow sound?”

It was a five o’clock on the dot when there was a knock on your apartment door. You stood up and rubbed your sweaty palms on your jeans. You weren’t sure how Sam was such a natural, but you were already nervous. Opening the door, you were greeted with James. He was basically wearing the same thing as the day before, but instead of a red henley, a dark blue one covered his torso. His right hand was stuffed into the pocket of his jeans, a tight-lipped smile on his face.

“Hi,” you said softly, “Come on in.”

You watched as James’ eyes raked over your apartment. It smelled vaguely of the coffee you had brewed and fresh hardwood. To his left was a panel of windows with a beautiful view of the city. The sun was just overhead sending a stream of light into the room making it naturally warm. It’s homey, he thought to himself. A few picture frames littered the walls, a couple on the tables on either side of the couch. A particularly large picture caught his eye. A wide smile was on your face, your arms thrown around what seemed to be people from your unit. Your skin was kissed by the sun and James was sure he had never seen a more beautiful woman. Even though the photo was a little blurry, he could see the light in your eyes. A light, that looking at you right now, your eyes seemed to lack.

“Can I get you anything?” You asked, noticing how James hadn’t made any movement towards the couch.

“Water is fine.”

You returned from the kitchen with two glasses of ice water. James followed you to the couch where he sat down next to you, leaving a considerable amount of space between the two of you. This is the second time he had left his apartment in a week. He wasn’t sure the last time he actually had the will to get out of bed.

“We don’t have to deep dive into anything personal today. I know we don’t know each other and I know that this is weird for the both of us. You can ask me a couple of questions if you’d like.”

James sat stiffly on the couch, his knee bouncing slightly. “Where did you serve?”

“Germany, Egypt, Afghanistan. You?”

“Yemen, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria, Japan.”

You turned towards him, pulling a knee onto the couch. “Thank you.”

James glanced at you quizzically. “For what?”

“For what you did for this country. I know you don’t get told often enough. None of us do.” There was a sad smile on your face as you made eye contact, James’ blue eyes searching your own. His eyes were beautiful, though they had more darkness than any pair of brown eyes you had ever seen. They told his story and displayed the icy waves that threatened to pull him under.

“I don’t remember the last time someone said that to me,” James said sadly.

“Well, if no one else ever does...I will.”

Over the course of the next few weeks, not much was shared between the two of you. You learned that James wasn’t much of a talker, but he enjoyed listening to you. He enjoyed the comfort and warmth that you brought. Although he didn’t talk much, he was gradually becoming more comfortable around you. He was no longer sitting stiff on the edge of your couch. He knew where the glasses were to get himself water. He even suggested leaving your apartment a few times. You were proud of the progress he was making. It was slow and subtle, but maybe that’s what he needed.

Something was off. James could tell. You were unusually quiet and fidgety. Your usual calm demeanor was replaced with something he couldn’t exactly pinpoint.

“What’s wrong?” he asked after twenty minutes of silence.

Your head snapped up, fingers messing the dog tags around your neck. “Nothing.” Not once had James seen you wear your dog tags or, as a matter of fact, seen anything that related to the army except for pictures.

“It’s an anniversary,” James put together, “You lost someone.”

Naturally, your gaze fell to the picture of your unit on the wall. An overwhelming sadness crept over you, your shoulders slumping, furrowed eyebrows tugging at each other.

“I-“

James cut you off before you could speak. “We don’t have to talk about it. I understand...and if you want to be alone, I understand that too.”

“No,” you shot back, “No, I want to talk about it. I want you to stay...please.” There was a desperation in your voice that you hated and that James had never heard before.

“I’ll stay. I’m here,” he reminded.

You swallowed allowing yourself to feel the emotions you had been trying to push away for a week. “We were in Afghanistan.” A distant look formed in your eyes. “Just a routine drive around the outskirts of the city. We stopped to talk to some the people...the kids would always run up to us because they knew we carried candy. This day we were taking a different route. It was a route traveled by locals so we just assumed it was safe...as safe as it could be for Americans. If we went under fire...there were fourteen of us. We could handle it. I remember having an off feeling about traveling this new route, but you always have an on edge feeling in a place like that. It keeps you aware. I shrugged it off, but I should have known something was wrong when there were no locals on the street that day. Officer Cale had said something undoubtedly hilarious. He was special. He made our time in the desert a little more bearable. He was in the passenger seat, I was behind him. I remember looking out of the window and spotting little patches of disturbed ground. I was going to say something, but it was too late. Our humvee didn’t take the hit...the one in front of us did.” Your voice was shaky, a stray tear rolling down your face. “Ours flipped upside down. I can’t remember what happened in the time of me getting dragged out, but I remember being under heavy fire. It was nine against at least two dozen combatants. We held them off for awhile, but more of them just kept coming. I was shot twice. My thigh and my arm. There was blood...everywhere. I thought I was gonna die that day.

Cale told me that there was a chopper two mikes out from our position. We just had to make it there. We had the advantage being at the top of the hill...so we made a run for it. He carried me most of the way there. We could see the chopper, but then we fell. Um, C-Cale had been hit. Twice in the leg, the other a dead shot.” James let his head fall, a shaky breath falling from his lips. He shifted closer to you, his hand reaching out to wipe the tears rolling down your cheeks. He let his hand fall to your lap, hesitantly intertwining his fingers with yours. You squeezed his palm weekly, thankful for the comfort and something to ground you. “He died trying to save my life and all he has to show for it is a damn purple heart. They had to leave his body and when they went back for it it was gone. Four of us made it out alive, Bucky. Ten of my brothers and sisters died. I got to come home, they gave me a purple heart and silver star, and told me live my life. Hide the trauma, forget what happened. I don’t go a day without thinking about them. And sometimes I wonder if maybe I should have died out there too.”

If you weren’t pouring your heart out to him, Bucky would have relished in the way his nickname rolled off your tongue. Instead, he pulled his hand from your grasp and shrugged off his jacket. You glanced up at him and then down at his left arm. A prosthetic. Not once had you noticed it. “IED. Pakistan. I lost everyone too. My arm...or lack thereof, reminds me of it everyday. Because I was their Sergeant, that guilt has driven me over the edge more than once. If I hadn’t met you two months ago...I don’t think I’d be here right now.” His confession caused you to sob harder and suddenly, you were met with a warm chest and a chin on top of your head. “Thank you for everything you’ve done, Y/n. You don’t hear it enough.”

You weren’t sure how long you guys stayed there and you weren’t sure when you fell asleep, but when you woke up you were still on the couch. An arm was wrapped securely around your waist holding you flush against them.

“Sleep good?”

You jumped, your head shooting over to where the sound of a familiar voice was coming from. “What are you doing here?”

Sam chuckled. “You didn’t answer my calls yesterday. I came over this morning and walked in on this.” Bucky shifted, his grip loosening allowing you to sit up and slide off the couch.

“I should have never given you a key,” you muttered. Your brushed past him, moving to start a pot of coffee. You could feel Sam’s heavy gaze on your frame causing you to turn around. “What?”

“Are you alright?” Sam’s voice was low, a hint of worry laced in his eyes.

You nodded your head, your eyes falling to the sleeping man on your couch. It was probably the most at peace you had seen Bucky, his chest rising and falling with even breaths. “Yeah. I’m alright.

You followed Sam over to the door. He was halfway out of the apartment when he asked, “Was I right?” He’d be good for you too.

“Aren’t you always?”

A smile covered his lips, “You deserve to be happy. He does too.”

“I know,” you replied. “Thanks for checking in.”

“Anything for you. Call me later.”

You watched Sam down the hall before the shutting the door trying to stay as quiet as possible.

“Sam invading your space again?”

You turned around, a laugh falling from your lips. “As always.” You watched as Bucky sat up, patting the space next to him. “How’d you sleep?”

“The best I have in a long time,” Bucky answered honestly.

There was a short pause as you thought of what to say next. “Thank you for staying.” You reached out to grab Bucky’s hand giving it a short squeeze.

He brought the back of your hand to his lips before his dropping your tangled hands onto your lap. “You would’ve done the same for me.”

#fatws bucky #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barns x y/n #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #the winter solider x reader #bucky barnes imagine #the avengers #marvel imagine #marvel fanfiction #marvel fluff

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route22ny · 3 years

Link

By CALVIN WOODWARD, ELLEN KNICKMEYER and DAVID RISING

September 10, 2021 GMT

In the ghastly rubble of ground zero’s fallen towers 20 years ago, Hour Zero arrived, a chance to start anew.

World affairs reordered abruptly on that morning of blue skies, black ash, fire and death.

In Iran, chants of “death to America” quickly gave way to candlelight vigils to mourn the American dead. Vladimir Putin weighed in with substantive help as the U.S. prepared to go to war in Russia’s region of influence.

Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, a murderous dictator with a poetic streak, spoke of the “human duty” to be with Americans after “these horrifying and awesome events, which are bound to awaken human conscience.”

From the first terrible moments, America’s longstanding allies were joined by longtime enemies in that singularly galvanizing instant. No nation with global standing was cheering the stateless terrorists vowing to conquer capitalism and democracy. How rare is that?

Too rare to last, it turned out.

___

Civilizations have their allegories for rebirth in times of devastation. A global favorite is that of the phoenix, a magical and magnificent bird, rising from ashes. In the hellscape of Germany at the end of World War II, it was the concept of Hour Zero, or Stunde Null, that offered the opportunity to start anew.

For the U.S., the zero hour of Sept. 11, 2001, meant a chance to reshape its place in the post-Cold War world from a high perch of influence and goodwill as it entered the new millennium. This was only a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union left America with both the moral authority and the financial and military muscle to be unquestionably the lone superpower.

Those advantages were soon squandered. Instead of a new order, 9/11 fueled 20 years of war abroad. In the U.S., it gave rise to the angry, aggrieved, self-proclaimed patriot, and heightened surveillance and suspicion in the name of common defense.

It opened an era of deference to the armed forces as lawmakers pulled back on oversight and let presidents give primacy to the military over law enforcement in the fight against terrorism. And it sparked anti-immigrant sentiment, primarily directed at Muslim countries, that lingers today.

A war of necessity — in the eyes of most of the world — in Afghanistan was followed two years later by a war of choice as the U.S. invaded Iraq on false claims that Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction. President George W. Bush labeled Iran, Iraq and North Korea an “axis of evil.”

Thus opened the deep, deadly mineshaft of “forever wars.” There were convulsions throughout the Middle East, and U.S. foreign policy — for half a century a force for ballast — instead gave way to a head-snapping change in approaches in foreign policy from Bush to Obama to Trump. With that came waning trust in America’s leadership and reliability.

Other parts of the world were not immune. Far-right populist movements coursed through Europe. Britain voted to break away from the European Union. And China steadily ascended in the global pecking order.

President Joe Biden is trying to restore trust in the belief of a steady hand from the U.S. but there is no easy path. He is ending war, but what comes next?

In Afghanistan in August, the Taliban seized control with menacing swiftness as the Afghan government and security forces that the United States and its allies had spent two decades trying to build collapsed. No steady hand was evident from the U.S. in the harried, disorganized evacuation of Afghans desperately trying to flee the country in the first weeks of the Taliban’s re-established rule.

Allies whose troops had fought and died in the U.S-led war in Afghanistan expressed dismay at Biden’s management of the U.S. withdrawal, under a deal President Donald Trump had struck with the Taliban.

THE ‘HOMELAND’

In the United States, the Sept. 11 attacks set loose a torrent of rage.

In shock from the assault, a swath of American society embraced the us vs. them binary outlook articulated by Bush — “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists” — and has never let go of it.

You could hear it in the country songs and talk radio, and during presidential campaigns, offering the balm of a bloodlust cry for revenge. “We’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way,” Toby Keith promised America’s enemies in one of the most popular of those songs in 2002.

Americans stuck flags in yards and on the back of trucks. Factionalism hardened inside America, in school board fights, on Facebook posts, and in national politics, so that opposing views were treated as propaganda from mortal enemies. The concept of enemy also evolved, from not simply the terrorist but also to the immigrant, or the conflation of the terrorist as immigrant trying to cross the border.

The patriot under threat became a personal and political identity in the United States. Fifteen years later, Trump harnessed it to help him win the presidency.

THE OTHERING

In the week after the attacks, Bush demanded of Americans that they know “Islam is peace” and that the attacks were a perversion of that religion. He told the country that American Muslims are us, not them, even as mosques came under surveillance and Arabs coming to the U.S. to take their kids to Disneyland or go to school risked being detained for questioning.

For Trump, in contrast, everything was always about them, the outsiders.

In the birther lie Trump promoted before his presidency, Barack Obama was an outsider. In Trump’s campaigns and administration, Muslims and immigrants were outsiders. The “China virus” was a foreign interloper, too.

Overseas, deadly attacks by Islamic extremists, like the 2004 bombing of Madrid trains that killed nearly 200 people and the 2005 attack on London’s transportation system that killed more than 50, hardened attitudes in Europe as well.

By 2015, as the Islamic State group captured wide areas of Iraq and pushed deep into Syria, the number of refugees increased dramatically, with more than 1 million migrants, primarily from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, entering Europe that year alone.

The year was bracketed by attacks in France on the Charlie Hebdo magazine staff in January after it published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, and on the Bataclan theater and other Paris locations in November, reinforcing the angst then gripping the continent.

Already growing in support, far-right parties were able to capitalize on the fears to establish themselves as part of the European mainstream. They remain represented in many European parliaments, even as the flow of immigrants has slowed dramatically and most concerns have proved unfounded.

THE UNRAVELING

Dozens of countries joined or endorsed the NATO coalition fighting in Afghanistan. Russia acquiesced to NATO troops in Central Asia for the first time and provided logistical support. Never before had NATO invoked Article 5 of its charter that an attack against one member was an attack against all.

But in 2003, the U.S. and Britain were practically alone in prosecuting the Iraq war. This time, millions worldwide marched in protest in the run-up to the invasion. World opinion of the United States turned sharply negative.

In June 2003, after the invasion had swiftly ousted Saddam and dismantled the Iraqi army and security forces, a Pew Research poll found a widening rift between Americans and Western Europeans and reported that “the bottom has fallen out of support for America in most of the Muslim world.” Most South Koreans, half of Brazilians and plenty more people outside the Islamic world agreed.

And this was when the war was going well, before the world saw cruel images from Abu Ghraib prison, learned all that it knows now about CIA black op sites, waterboarding, years of Guantanamo Bay detention without charges or trials — and before the rise of the brutal Islamic State.

By 2007, when the U.S. set up the Africa Command to counter terrorism and the rising influence of China and Russia on the continent, African countries did not want to host it. It operates from Stuttgart, Germany.

THE SUCCESSES

Over the two decades, a succession of U.S. presidents scored important achievements in shoring up security, and so far U.S. territory has remained safe from more international terrorism anywhere on the scale of 9/11.

Globally, U.S.-led forces weakened al-Qaida, which has failed to launch a major attack on the West since 2005. The Iraq invasion rid that country and region of a murderous dictator in Saddam.

Yet strategically, eliminating him did just what Arab leaders warned Bush it would do: It strengthened Saddam’s main rival, Iran, threatening U.S. objectives and partners.

Deadly chaos soon followed in Iraq. The Bush administration, in its nation-building haste, failed to plan for keeping order, leaving Islamist extremists and rival militias to fight for dominance in the security vacuum.

The overthrow of Saddam served both to inspire and limit public support for Arab Spring uprisings a few years later. For if the U.S. showed people in the Middle East that strongmen can be toppled, the insurgency demonstrated that what comes next may not be a season of renewal.

Authoritarian regimes in the Middle East pointed to the post-Saddam era as an argument for their own survival.

The U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq killed more than 7,000 American military men and women, more than 1,000 from the allied forces, many tens of thousands of members of Afghan and Iraqi security forces, and many hundreds of thousands of civilians, according to Brown University’s Costs of War project. Costs, including tending the wars’ unusually high number of disabled vets, are expected to top $6 trillion.

For the U.S., the presidencies since Bush’s wars have been marked by an effort — not always consistent, not always successful — to pull back the military from the conflicts of the Middle East and Central Asia.

The perception of a U.S. retreat has allowed Russia and China to gain influence in the regions, and left U.S. allies struggling to understand Washington’s place in the world. The notion that 9/11 would create an enduring unity of interest to combat terrorism collided with rising nationalism and a U.S. president, Trump, who spoke disdainfully of the NATO allies that in 2001 had rallied to America’s cause.

Even before Trump, Obama surprised allies and enemies alike when he stepped back abruptly from the U.S. role of world cop. Obama geared up for, then called off, a strike on Syrian President Bashar Assad for using chemical weapons against his people.

“Terrible things happen across the globe, and it is beyond our means to right every wrong,” Obama said on Sept. 11, 2013.

THE NEWISH ORDER

The legacies of 9/11 ripple both in obvious and unusual ways.

Most directly, millions of people in the U.S. and Europe go about their public business under the constant gaze of security cameras while other surveillance tools scoop up private communications. The government layered post-9/11 bureaucracies on to law enforcement to support the expansive security apparatus.

Militarization is more evident now, from large cities to small towns that now own military vehicles and weapons that seem well out of proportion to any terrorist threat. Government offices have become fortifications and airports a security maze.

But as profound an event as 9/11 was, its immediate effect on how the world has been ordered was temporary and largely undone by domestic political forces, a global economic downturn and now a lethal pandemic.

The awakening of human conscience predicted by Gadhafi didn’t last. Gadhafi didn’t last.

Osama bin Laden has been dead for a decade. Saddam was hanged in 2006. The forever wars — the Afghanistan one being the longest in U.S. history — now are over or ending. The days of Russia tactically enabling the U.S., and China not standing in the way, petered out. Only the phoenix lasts.

___

Rising reported from Bangkok; Knickmeyer and Woodward from Washington. AP National Security Writer Robert Burns contributed to this report.

https://apnews.com/article/911-20-years-world-affairs-cc497f11743fcbd48b0b3e0c3ed2da5f

#vladimir putin #two decades after 9/11 #new world order #historical turning point

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imxthexhandler · 2 years

Note

ive times worried:( five times the receiver worried about the sender )

Five Times

-------------------------------------

( @shieldagentnatasharomanoff )

1.) 2012- New York.

Amelia was still not sure if she managed to survive this, if she would even have a job after this. The World Security Council gave strict orders they were not to interfere, but to paraphrase the impromptu speech she gave Director Fury, nuts to that.

Of course, now being in New York, well, it was easy to almost get overwhelmed. Especially when your arm is almost bit off by one of those aliens until it was flung away thanks to Cap’s shield.

Thanks to that injury, Amelia mainly was helping first responders with evacuating and rescuing people away from the fray. Mentally, Amelia was taking note of the heroes—obviously, there was Captain America, Hulk could be heard roaring along with the aliens, Iron Man was flying around, a loud crack of thunder from Thor’s hammer, and thanks to an arrow taking out one of the aliens that popped out in front of her while Amelia was carrying a child, that meant Hawkeye was still alive.

But what about the Black Widow?

Amelia handed the child off to his mother, and she glanced back at the battlefield, catching her breath. It was surreal, almost something out of a sci-fi movie. Her eyes darted around, looking for the redhead but still not seeing any sight of her.

Please say she was okay.

Granted, Amelia did not know the infamous Black Widow, other than hushed rumors amongst S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and proud stories told her by Coulson. Most of Romanoff’s file was classified, above her clearance. But yet, that’s not why Amelia worried. It wasn’t the fact she was probably one of the deadliest women in the world, one of the most imposing agents S.H.I.E.L.D. ever had, but Natasha was important to Coulson. And that was all the reason she needed to care. She was important to Coulson; she couldn’t bear it if something happened to her, too. Amelia stumbled as she continued on, herding people and trying to get them out of harm’s way.

Please don’t die. Please—you and Barton—please. You two have to make it. Please.

2.) 2013- Chicago.

Having stopped a human trafficking ring, the Avengers were ‘quietly’ celebrating their latest victory. Natasha and Amelia were at the bar while Thor and Clint were throwing darts, Steve was talking with a group of four Iraqi war vets, one who wanted their picture with him to show their younger brother back home, and Tony and Bruce were animatedly discussing the new experiment they were working on.

Nat caught on to Amelia being all moony-eyed over Steve. There was some light teasing over her not-so-subtle crush.

Amelia couldn’t tell her if her cheeks were red from blushing or from the alcohol.

“No, I’m not telling him,” Amelia hissed, now staring down at her half-empty glass, wishing she could just disappear. “Look, I… He’s… I mean, come on. He’s a superhero, Nat. It wouldn’t… He’s out of my league,” she argued.

She knew Natasha meant well, telling her that it would be better to find out than to always wonder. Amelia weakly smiled as she felt the redhead pat her on the shoulder and stood up.

“Yeah, well…” Amelia’s voice trailed off as she kept her gaze on her glass before sipping her cocktail. She winced and choked on her drink suddenly as she heard Natasha loudly call Steve’s name.

Amelia turned on her stool, glaring at the redhead. “Romanoff!”

3.) 2014- Washington, D.C.

Amelia felt her blood run cold as she heard the Captain’s voice over the PA system. No. It couldn’t… The very thought of Hydra in S.H.I.E.L.D. was enough to both make her terrified and sick.

Her objective was clear. She had to help Steve—and wherever Steve was, she knew Natasha would be there, too. She just had to find them.

There were a couple close calls, especially when Amelia came face-to-face with her ex-boyfriend…who, as it turned out, was with Hydra all along. Still, Amelia managed to find Steve and Maria and—well, okay, she did not know the third person, but—

“Captain Rogers, where’s Nat?” Amelia asked, panic creeping in on the edge of her voice.

“She’s on her own mission. Come on, we got to keep moving,” Maria answered.

Amelia kept silent as she went with them, but still, the S.H.I.E.L.D. was anxious about her friend. Natasha was the strongest woman she knew—and Amelia was convinced she was the strongest in the universe—and she had complete faith in the Black Widow’s skills, but until she saw her again at the end of all of this, the worry was going to gnaw at her gut like a dog with its favorite bone.

4.) 2016- Wakanda.

“SHURI!”

The name barely left Amelia’s lips before the princess was just…gone. Nothing but dust. She stayed behind with Shuri and Vision while the others left for the battlefield. She had been debating with the younger woman after they were ambushed. They were arguing, and then suddenly, an errie feeling settled over them, and before Amelia could do anything, Shuri was gone.

Amelia was in shock. Her hands were shaking as she stumbled over, her knees almost buckling. “I… Wilson! Wilson, I need back-up now!” she hoarsely ordered over the comm, figuring he could reach them the fastest.

“…”

There was silence.

Her heart skipped a beat. “Wilson! Answer me!” she snapped, but Amelia was just greeted with more silence. She almost felt like she forgot to breathe. No. No. No, no. This…couldn’t be happening…

“Wanda!”

“…”

Her throat burned as she now fell down, her heart pounding wildly inside her chest. Tears were welling up in her eyes. “Barnes?” Her voice cracked on his name.

“…”

Her chest tightened, and it hurt to honestly keep breathing. She knew she was having a panic attack, but that knowledge was little help to her right now as she kept getting greeted with more silence.

“Romanoff?”

“…”

“Nat, talk to me!”

“…”

“NATASHA!”

5.) 2023- New York.

“Does-Does this look okay?” Amelia stammered, fidgeting anxiously with the cuffs of the sleeves on her red dress.

In Natasha’s defense, it was the tenth time the brunette asked her today. For the first time since the infamous battle against Thanos, the Avengers were coming together for Christmas. And after everything that happened with the past five years, especially the last battle, Amelia finally decided to tell Steve how she felt.

Amelia knew she was probably annoying the redhead, but she couldn’t help it. She was nervous. Despite Natasha’s assurances that everything would be fine, she couldn’t help but fret over her upcoming confession.

“You’re going to be close by, right?...”

“Right? You’re not—You’re going to be there, right, Nat?”

“Nat?”

#shieldagentnatasharomanoff #sisterhood of badasses #(long post)#tw death #(i hope you don't mind how long this is)#damnit Barton do your paper-queue

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