OF THE
TIMES
As a consular officer overseas, I met dozens of Brittney Griners — American citizens, from all walks of life, who find themselves on the wrong end of a foreign legal system far from home.
Despite what Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard might claim, Griner's continued detention in Russia has nothing to do with a lack of U.S. government interest in bringing her home. It makes no difference that she's a woman, black, or gay, or even that she's one of the few WNBA players who can dunk. It also doesn't matter for whom she voted.
The fact of the matter is: There are limits to what American diplomacy can do for U.S. citizens who travel to foreign countries and run afoul of their laws.
When arrested abroad, an American's first call is often to consular officers. Their expectations tend to be out of line with what our diplomats are allowed or supposed to do to help them.
The rules governing diplomatic intervention are spelled out in the Foreign Affairs Manual, aka "the FAM," which is the operational bible for U.S. consular officers at more than 300 foreign posts from Albania to Zambia. According to the FAM, consular officers should visit the arrested American citizen "as soon as possible" after learning of the arrest.
That visit is to deliver the hard truth: You're not in Kansas anymore. "Give the arrestee a realistic and positive understanding of your interest in and responsibility for a U.S. citizen or national in this situation," officers are told, and "make clear to the prisoner that the judicial system and personal rights he or she enjoyed in the United States do not apply abroad."
The All-Star pleaded guilty earlier this month , but argued that she did not intend to break the law when she entered the country with medically prescribed cannabis to treat persistent pain from sports injuries.So is she telling us that Cannabis is not a banned substance in the sports world? Don't people lose medals because of this? Come on!
There are limits to what American diplomacy can do for U.S. citizens who travel to foreign countries and run afoul of their laws.
this is so true, even for the stupid american mercenaries that travel to the front to shoot ruskies, silly sods, ffs, what dont they understand!! they are looking at the death penalty, as the war regs dont cover trigger happy stupid as fuk americans, or any other trigger happy fuknut that goes abroad to kill our Russian friends..
"make clear to the prisoner that the judicial system and personal rights he or she enjoyed in the United States do not apply abroad."
true indeed, if ya did ya homework cowboy, you now realize you shouldnt of left ya happy little cowboy life in the good old U S OF FUKN "A"!!
cant fix stupid, as millions of american citizens hate there own country, bossman in office a full on pedo, with a crackhead son committing sexually serious crimes with very young women, also on the meth, from 16-21yrs old.. an pedo pete jealous of course, as he had no sniff in the matter, ffs.. the world has gone to shite.. well, america certainly has..
come on our Russian friends, an Chinese friends, that helped the nazi financed weak as piss nations come to power back in the early 30s, it seems they learned nothing, you both helped the west rise above the nazis, then received little to NO thanks for your commitment and sacrifice,
now, 80 yrs later, the tide has turned, you can sink the us buck driven mentality, and create a new world, of peace for all, where no more can another cold as fuk, dark hearted nation just nuke another, just to see if it worked, 3 weeks after it surrendered, and have been using this threat to all else if they cross this evil as fuks path.. so,,
a new world is in the birthing process as we speak, hooray, looking forward to it..
thank you Russia and China for speaking truths, against this pin dick ego driven mongrel us gov an its bitching methhead sniffing child trafficking congress..