Many U.S. military officers have championed Ansam's case for political asylum in letters of recommendation. Here's some of what they've written:
_Brig. Gen. David G. Reist, the deputy commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, wrote that Ansam had his "highest recommendation" because she "greatly contributed to the success" of Marines in western Anbar province.
_Marine Col. Boris-Frank A. Nazaroff: "an ideal candidate for immigration to the United States and eventual citizenship."
_Marine Col. Larry Richards noted how Ansam collected toys for local children and praised her for showing "persistence and devotion to her work, frequently working longer hours because she cared about the quality of her work."
_Marine Lt. Col. David Dysart wrote that Ansam refused to take leaves because of the shortage of translators and accepted responsibilities "that would normally have been delegated to coalition personnel to complete."
_Marine Maj. Rodolfo A. Quiles: "I can personally attest to her competence, candor, zeal and endurance while helping our Marines communicate with emotional citizens" in a high-stress environment.
_Army Maj. James R. Orbock praised Ansam for her role in negotiations after an offensive in Fallujah and added, "She willingly accepted this role in spite of known dangers to local nationals supporting coalition forces."
_Marine Maj. J.C. Schaffer wrote that Ansam's performance was "superb" and that "We relied on you around the clock, seven days a week."
_Marine Master Sgt. D.G. Brumbaugh wrote about Ansam's efforts regarding the capture of a man who'd made threats against coalition forces, saying her "willingness to put herself at risk assisted CF greatly in getting this suspected insurgent detained."
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(c) 2007, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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