Kenya to deport U.S. author of critical Obama book

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NAIROBI — Kenyan immigration authorities arrested the U.S. author of a critical book about presidential candidate Barack Obama before its launch on Tuesday and took him to the airport for deportation, witnesses said.
Jerome Corsi arrived at a downtown Nairobi hotel to present his book "The Obama Nation."
But he was whisked away by immigration officials and later driven to the airport by police, witnesses said. "It happened so fast, they just vanished with him," a hotel worker told Reuters.
Obama is revered in Kenya for his paternal roots here and as a flag bearer for Africa on the international stage.
Corsi's book, which critics say is meant to hurt Obama's poll prospects next month, questions whether he could be using drugs and insinuates the Democratic candidate is Muslim rather than Christian.
Local organizers of the book launch said Corsi broke no immigration rules but was considered an embarrassment. A recent poll found that 89 percent of Kenyans want Obama to win the U.S. election, versus three percent for Republican John McCain.
"His papers were found to be in order. His passport was fine, his visa was fine," Corsi's publicist in Kenya Peter Mbae told Reuters.
"But the government did not want him to launch his book on Kenyan soil. That's why he has been deported."
Immigration and other officials declined to comment.
An invitation to the book launch said the event would expose Obama's "deep secret ties" to mafia-like groups in Kenya.
"During his stay, Corsi also plans to meet Sen. Obama's brother, George Hussein Onyango Obama, who lives on $12 a year in the sprawling Huruma slums and hand him a $1,000 check," said the invitation, published in local papers.
Some right-wing U.S. commentators have said the case of George Obama, who is a half-brother, shows Barack Obama's double standards. But George Obama has told media he is happy with his life and that his case has been exaggerated for political ends.
Corsi also co-authored a book which put 2004 Democratic U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry on the defensive during his unsuccessful election campaign. "Unfit for Command" questioned accounts of an attack on Kerry's boat during the Vietnam war.
One Obama fan in Nairobi, Jack Okinyi, applauded Corsi's expulsion. "His actions were highly provocative, that he dared bring such a book here. He was lucky that the authorities got him before Kenyans got their hands on him," he said.
(Writing by Andrew Cawthorne, Editing by Opheera McDoom)
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http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-politics/20081007/POLITICS-US-USA-POLITICS-CORSI/
 
To be perfectly blunt I suspect he was deported more for his own safety than anything else.
2-3 months ago the country was on the verge of civil war and now someone turns up spouting on about radical islam, mafia groups and slagging someone a sizable proportion of the population seems to like I am not at all surprised he is on a plane home.
 
In many parts of the world, your safety cannot be guaranteed. You can say what you want but you will pay a steep price if you say the wrong thing.
Don't take that stuff for granted.
 
Well quite honestly, what's it matter where the book launches? It's not like Kenya has a say in the election.... I mean, I understand that it's stupid that they deported him because of his political views, but it doesn't matter what they do. They aren't voting come November, so it really is of no consequence. No harm, no foul.
 
No but the fact that he's part Kenyan makes him a huge celebrity over there.
Kind of like how Ban Ki-moon became the Secretary General of the UN and people here suddenly are interested in the UN and international relations and politics even though it's really a pile of :cens:.
He was deported, probably for his own damned good.
You don't go to a country, say :cens: about the biggest thing they've had in pretty much anything and not related to marathons and expect to walk out in one piece.
 
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the_13th_redneck said:
No but the fact that he's part Kenyan makes him a huge celebrity over there.
Kind of like how Ban Ki-moon became the Secretary General of the UN and people here suddenly are interested in the UN and international relations and politics even though it's really a pile of :cens:.
He was deported, probably for his own damned good.
You don't go to a country, say :cens: about the biggest thing they've had in pretty much anything and not related to marathons and expect to walk out in one piece.
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Yes, but his heritage really doesn't matter either.... Well, it shouldn't at least. People should be above voting based on race... But I suppose I'm wrong? Apparently it's a larger issue than 10% of the population....
 
My point is that he is celebrity beyond belief over there and to bad mouth him over there is a horrible mistake.
 
I get that... It definitely was stupid on his part; all I'm saying is that they shouldn't deport him based on his political views, whether he will get mauled for them or not.
 
the_13th_redneck said:
My point is that he is celebrity beyond belief over there and to bad mouth him over there is a horrible mistake.
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Especially because Corsi is so libelous. The books he writes aren't even remotely balanced or objective. He was one of the swift-boaters that ran the hatch job on John Kerry. Its not all all surprising he wouldn't be welcome in Kenya. The Kenyans mobs would have ripped him apart.

In some countries spreading lies and libeling people has violent consequences.
 
Actually telling people what they don't want to hear can have severe consequences.
But yeah if you lie you're really screwed.
 
Because it's not right. What would you say if the United States deported someone from the country based solely on the fact that they were Muslim?
 
Rob Henderson said:
Because it's not right. What would you say if the United States deported someone from the country based solely on the fact that they were Muslim?
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Brother, you really need to look into some of the contrived reasons that are used to deport people from the US who are not criminal's, illegals, etc.

Any Countries Immigration Officals can come up with reasons to deport and do.

IMO he's probably lucky that he was denied entry.
 
Rob Henderson said:
Because it's not right. What would you say if the United States deported someone from the country based solely on the fact that they were Muslim?
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That has actually happened. Its even happened to US citizens who are Muslim.

And Kenya is perfectly within its right to deport Foreigners who are likely to cause civil unrest, that's no different than any other country.
 
03USMC said:
Brother, you really need to look into some of the contrived reasons that are used to deport people from the US who are not criminal's, illegals, etc.

Any Countries Immigration Officals can come up with reasons to deport and do.

IMO he's probably lucky that he was denied entry.
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It is even easier if you are part of the Visa Waiver Program as it states you can be refused entry for any reason and have no right of appeal.
 
Every. Every Country does it. Every Country has done it for years. It is the right of a Country to turn you away from their border.

I mean really. Who gives a Rip that some author was denied entry to Kenya. BFD. So he wrote a book critical of Obama and Obama is highly regarded for whatever reason in Kenya as he is in other parts of the world. It comes down to the Goverment of Kenya not wanting him in their Country. Their right.
 
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