He's hitting the campaign trail with a local congressional /*candidate*/.
Bangin Al-Dosakee was greeted with applause and handshakes at the Fayetteville airport Thursday. For the first time in his life, he is experiencing what many sometime take for granted -- freedom.
"Now being here in this country, freedom is something I can't explain it, I can't describe it," Al-Dosakee said. "In Iraq, they have lots of money, but they can't get their freedom for money."
Benny, as he likes to be called, left his war ravaged country two weeks ago.
There he worked as a translator with American forces training the Iraqi army. That's how then Army Major Will Breazeale met him in 2006.
Breazeale, who is running for congress in the 7th District, says Benny is one of only 50 Iraqi translators given an American visa on an Iraqi passport.
"If it wasn't for the interpreters, we would not have gotten the job done," Breazeale said. "And many more interpreters died percentage wise than did American soldiers. Whenever these guys went on leave, went on vacation, they were followed by terrorist and allot of them didn't come back."
Benny will spend the next two weeks on the campaign trail in N.C. He wants to stay in the U.S., go to school and get a job.
While Benny says he is proud to be from Iraq, freedom is much better.
"When I came over here I see people I see the United States, I see the freedom," Benny said. "It's man...you guys deserve it. I'm all into this country. It's great."
Benny also tells /*Eyewitness News*/ that despite the violence in Iraq, most of his countrymen feel they are moving closer each day to self rule.
