Jolie In Iraq For UN Refugee Mission

Note to world leaders: Next time you need instant access to foreign dignitaries and top military brass, forget the usual protocols. Just send in Angelina Jolie.

Hollywood's globe-trotting leading lady swooped into Baghdad on Thursday to highlight the plight of Iraqi refugees, gaining an audience with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the American Embassy said.

On her mission as a U.N. goodwill ambassador, Jolie also met with Iraqi migration officials to stress that there needs to be a coherent plan for the more than 2 million internally displaced Iraqis who are beginning to trickle back to their homes amid a recent lull in violence.

"There's lots of goodwill and lots of discussion, but there seems to be just a lot of talk at the moment," Jolie said in excerpts of an interview aired on CNN.

Jolie mingled with American troops during lunch at a dining facility in the heavily guarded Green Zone, which houses the embassy and Iraqi government offices. She grabbed a red plastic tray at the mess hall, collected her lunch and sat at a long banquet table to eat _ her fork tines down, of course _ as flashbulbs from soldiers' digital cameras lit up the wall behind her.

During the CNN interview, Jolie said the fate of Iraq will have an impact on the Middle East for years to come.

"And a big part of what it's going to affect," she said, "is how these people are returned and settled into their homes and their community and brought back together and whether they can live together and what their communities look like."

Comments

[WarrenChristmas]

Politicians fuck up a country...

...tattooed celebrities go in to fix it.

Only in America.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

GREAT comment!!!

[FirstShirt]

Tatooed celebrities like to think they are fixing it. They live in a dream world and only in America do we take them seriously.

[Pookie2112]

Hey, that obviously worked for the dolts who voted for Chimpy ...

[grisgris]

You obviously haven't traveled outside of your limited little part of the U.S. or you'd know that tattoos are very popular (and have been for many, many years) in other parts of the world.

[shedances]

It's not Africa ~ but it is wonderful that Ms. Jolie is fulfilling her duties as a goodwill ambassador to the United Nations ... this time in wartorn Iraq.

It would've been more enlightening, I think, if she had been able to describe or detail to the public, more of her thoughts (& what she was witnessing) with respect to Iraqis coming home after this unnecessary & idiotic invasion by the U.S. & its allies. I suspect she may have left a great deal of information out of her interview & so her reported statements were a more 'cursory' look at this embattled nation from an outsider's perspective.

Still, Ms. Jolie is no stranger to visiting wartorn regions! And, perhaps her presence there will inspired others to try to find ways that the UN can provide adequate help. As far as the United States goes, however, I doubt Iraqis want any continued help from us (understandable, to be sure) ~ though there have been reports & arguments to the contrary.

Ms. Jolie's venture there as ambassador reminds me of the Dicken's character who says ~ "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done..." Good for you in this effort, Ms. Jolie. Keep up the good humanitarian work.

K

[trinity29]

I am sure that the interview was edited and she had said more than what we saw.

[ljsfolly]

Once again she is putting herself at risk to bring attention to the plight of those whose voices have been taken away by those making war againest them. You see very few going there for any reason but to continue to make war. A light shining bright should never be dulled by those who sit in their safe house, safe chair and who have the right to get on their computers and make fun of the person for trying to help those who need the help. If you ave little good to say about someone who is actively working in the world to make it better then shut the piehole and write in another post.

[dora rice]

who takes care of her children , she so readily adopted......it takes more guts to be a good Mom , then gallavanting all over the world......

[Ramus]

I'm sure she also cares for her children and the girl can afford a good nanny or four. And this may be a grave shock or you dora but sometimes nannys can be just as good as moms. ..or even better. Still I'm sure Angelina's a good mom because her mom was a good mom and these qualities are ferquently passed on. You seem to have a problem with her for some reason.

[Pookie2112]

dora, why do you care? Oh, that's right ... your life is empty and shallow so you've got nothing else to do. Got it. Thanks for the clarification.

[research]

I bet her children lover Angelina and are very proud of her as well.

[grisgris]

dora, you've never left your trailer park. What do you know about guts and travel other than the National Geographic magazine you made the church stop subscribing to because of all those "dirty pictures" of naked "savages"?

[amazedandoutraged]

I don't see George Bush over there doing anything to help. Has he ever gone over there? I don't think so. He might get hurt or something.

[amazedandoutraged]

That's right. He is staying home and being a good DAD.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Classy woman who has done a lot of good with her celebrity.

[WilliamWallace]

She seems to be a very intelligent, thoughtful and caring individual. I'm glad that she's doing this work.

It's no surprise that she's being trashed by so many in the thread......we've got a very cynical world on our hands.

Keep up the good work, Ms. Jolie.

[totalliberal]

proudlysa babbles on:
"imagine britney spears and co. at the helm of 'this great flagship to which the world looks up to'."



LMFAO. Don't get around much do you?

[dora rice]

Britney is a sick person, who can't help herself, and is screwed by everyone she comes in contact with, in my opinion , including her parents. She even gets screwed by you, with your ironic, nasty remarks.

[grisgris]

So what do you call what you are saying about Jolie, huh? Are you "screwing" her?

[mig991]

Good job, Angelina!

I am very proud of all of your efforts.

[vippy]

Angelina, save those abandoned kids. What a horrible world have we created.

[jpshotwheels]

You go Angeline, what a good hearted woman. I hope she stays save and I bet the troops are loving every minute.

Comments on here can be so rude and childish, people seem to always look for the negative, instead of the positive of what someone can do.

[sonofloud]

Go Angelina!!!!
Glad to see someone in this country has a conscience.

[VOTER]

So true.

Where is First "Lady" of War Laura and her

greedy alcoholic twins when it comes to helping

the Iraqi citizens and our military?

[BC33]

OUCH! Good question. Where the hell are these privileged, selfish bitches. I guess they are too busy planning a wedding.

[combatveteran]

No comment. I'm waiting for Rush to weigh in on this one.

[tumblewind]

I just love it when they say 'threatened to spark a civil war'? Like all the Sunni's and Shiite's are killing each other for some other fantastic reason. George has been hard at work again with his dillusion brigade again. Spinning yarns of a al qaida connection and etc.

[jpshotwheels]

Sorry to inform you, but Shiite's and Sunni's lived side by side in Iraq for years peacefully, married within their own sects, and had no problems, until the U.S. went in and disrupted everything.

Divide and Conquer is what they say and thats what G.W. did. Just like he has managed to do in our own Country.

The good news is he is leaving, may they give him an Amtrak ticket back to Texas.

[haloofsin]

Thats because Sadam ruled with an Iron fist... But we should of seen this coming... Ohh wait some of us did... Fucking Bush!

[Sneaky]

You forgot to add: "Because any attempt at violence was smothered by tyranny". There weren't any terrorists or any terrorism in the country before our interference only because of an iron-fist rule.

And I assure you, the job of dividing and conquering this country was one started long, long before either Bush was born. Unless you have specific examples of how his are somehow worse than the New Deal misdeeds, the creation of the centralized bank in 1913, or the complete abandon of hard money in 1971 which permanently cemented the decline in US currency?

Bush was wrong, and committed much wrong, but keep things in perspective. More people in thi s country die of economic reasons (bad or no health care, inability to feed, clothe, and care for themselves) than because of Iraq or the expansion in Social Security.

[combatveteran]

He brought democracy did't he? He might have lied to us a few times. But he got it done, and we democrats are going to get blamed for fucking it all up. You movie star loving, god hating, tax raising liburals

[proudlysa]

what a role model for the middle eastern woman!!!! tattoos, pregnant and unmarried. should a person of such a status be involved with a politically inflicted country by the country in which she lives in and get paid by the same people who seems too eager to see their next moves? why vote for the politicians if you have actors and actresses who can run the country and live like dolts? imagine britney spears and co. at the helm of this great flagship to which the world looks up to. i would vote for mickey mouse for president

[ruffmama]

thank you thank you thank you

[springsm]

you are apparently small minded bigotted neocon fundies. She IS an example for the younger set in this country and therefore spreads what good she can elsewhere. It is in the eye of the beholder and you are not an example. Petty, snipey, gossipy, jealous and envious folks generally are unhappy with themselves. Do you fit?

[WilliamWallace]

Hey, if the politicians can't handle their jobs.............in we go.

[SingingBird]

Ahhh, yes, Proud...the voice of reason. Who, in your opinion, would be an acceptable role model to bring light to this situation?

Unfortunately I dont' see a lot of people bringing light to the situation. Typically all anyone talks about are the troops and the casualties. However, to have 4 million people displaced by a war that the US started, is tragic, to say the least. When you get off your duff and do something about it, then you have a right to criticise. Until then, put a lid on it.

I personally think it is amazing Angelina Jolie is able to travel given her, reported but unconfirmed, twin pregnancy. Twins typically produce horrible morning sickness. Add to it that she is in Iraq. I don't know of a lot of people that would take that risk while pregnant or pregnant with twins. Regardless of her personal life, give the woman some credit.

In the meantime, maybe you could spend your time doing something positive *and* constructive, like writing to your representative.

[intopolitics]

Yeah, proudlysa way to go for the superficial ("tattoos, pregnant and unmarried"). I don't much care for her movies but its impressive that she seems to care about refugees. Or is some ink on her skin more important?

[pithymaxim]

Politicians and actors are hardly mutually exclusive; it's even called "political theatre." Focus groups and polling serve to fine tune the players' facade; know your audience. Reagan and the kinetically hesitant Fred Thompson bowed to Orpheus without shame,; indeed the former is touted as The Great Communicator. Why are you really upset at Ms. Jolie? Her life choices don't fit into your Pavlovian template? You are so philosophically and psychologically agoraphobic that this diiference threatens you? You require strict adherence to societally created "moral" absolutes to feel safe in your world? By being unashamedly herself and still actively engaging in compassion, Ms. Jolie refuses to enable overtly suppressive views towards women in the Islamic culture as well as quietly disengages from latent, covertly repressive boundaries over here.

[protagonia]

pithymaxim

Well said!

Great analysis of the situation.