Report: U.S. knew about abandoned American children in Nigeria

Report: U.S. knew about abandoned American children in Nigeria

The Associated Press


Last Updated: August 21, 2004, 06:49:00 AM PDT


HOUSTON (AP) - U.S. State Department officials learned that seven American children had been abandoned at a Nigerian orphanage but waited more than a week to check on the youths, who were suffering from malnutrition, malaria and typhoid, a newspaper reported Saturday.

A person whom the State Department would only identify as a "local contact" in Nigeria told the consulate in Lagos about the children on July 30, The Dallas Morning News reported.

But a consular official saw the children for the first time on Aug. 7 - two days after House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn intervened at request of a missionary who found them on Aug. 4.

State Department spokeswoman Kelly Shannon said she did not know why it took so long for a consular official to personally check the Nigerian government's assurances that the three boys and four girls were safe and well cared for.

"We had no indication that they were in any physical danger," Shannon said.

more...
http://www.modbee.com/24hour/nation/story/1590537p-9212359c.html

:eyes:

Their parents are needed to serve in
the Hal-liberatin-bush-burden-the-tax-payers-
military-industrial-congressional-complex.
Besides, they wont really be left behind, because
as soon as they are old enough, they will be drafted!
BHN