Hello Bob,   
      
   >AK>Many Russians prefer to keep it, even if they become citizens of the   
   >AK>US, because the procedure of leaving from the Russian citizenship is   
   >AK>very long, tricky and expensive. The US does not recognize double   
   >AK>citizenship, but does not demand from its people to refuse from   
   >AK>their former citizenship if they have one.   
      
   >LL>Actually, the US does recognize dual citizenship.  But only   
   >LL>for those from two other countries - Vatican City and   
   >LL>Israel.  Along with those who marry into the Kennedy clan -   
   >LL>such as disgraced Austrian movie star Arnold Shwarzenegger   
   >LL>(thanks to an Act of Congress granting him US citizenship).   
      
   BK> What act of congress? When?   
      
   Ted Kennedy sponsored it.  He could tell you.  Or maybe not.   
   In which case you'll have to ask his niece, Maria Shriver.   
      
   >LL>But here's the kicker, and where your story completely   
   >LL>falls apart. You mentioned in your essay "...but does not   
   >LL>demand from its people to refuse from their former   
   >LL>citizenship if they have one."   
      
   >LL>Here is the full text of the oath of citizenship -   
      
   >LL>"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely   
   >LL>renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any   
   >LL>foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or   
   >LL>which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I   
   >LL>will support and defend the Constitution and laws of   
      
   BK>Yet the US Govt does not require the person do anything about   
   BK>that. IOW, as far as the other nation is concerned you can still   
   BK>be a citizen there.   
      
   But the US government will not recognize an American citizen as being   
   anything but an American citizen.  Unless that American citizen is also   
   Jewish, Catholic, or married into the Kennedy clan.   
      
   >AK>The Russian passport expired, but Julia had no time to renew   
   >AK>it in San-Francisco where the nearest Russian consulate was.   
      
   >LL>RED FLAG ALERT! RED FLAG ALERT! RED FLAG ALERT! RED FLAG   
   >LL>ALERT!   
      
   >LL>Julia was no longer a Russian citizen!   
      
   BK>As far as Russia was concerned?   
      
   That depends on Boris.   
      
   >LL>No American citizen can travel on a Russian passport,   
   >LL>even if that Russian passport had not expired!   
      
   BK>Unless other countries allow it.   
      
   Oh, come now.  You know better than that.  There is no such   
   thing as international law.  The US makes its own laws, thank   
   you very much, and does not recognize anybody else's laws as   
   being legitimate or constitutional.   
      
   >LL>Even if Julia still been a Russian citizen, the   
   >LL>Russian passport she had was expired and no longer valid!   
      
   BK>That is the only part that is relevant.   
      
   What is relevant is that American law and Russian law are   
   very different.  Americans abide by American law and Russians   
   abide by Russian law.  Those who play by the rules are rewarded.   
   Those who do not play by the rules get punished.  It really is   
   that simple.   
      
   >AK>But when she was making the Russian visa for her son,   
      
   >LL>No private citizen can make a visa for a child, or even for   
   >LL>another adult!  Only governments can do that!  And then only   
   >LL>for its own citizens, not the citizens of other countries!   
      
   BK>You are arguing a gramatical point.   
      
   You misspelled "grammatical".   
      
   >AK>Julia's under age son was born in the US, and entered Russia with   
   >AK>Russian visa in his US passport. This visa should get expired in a   
      
   >LL>Her son can thank the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution,   
   >LL>making him a naturalized citizen, not having to take the   
   >LL>oath of citizenship like his stranded mother.   
      
   BK>Since he was born in this country he is a natural born citizen,   
   BK>not naturalized.   
      
   Birthers refuse to admit that U.S. Senator John McCain was born   
   in Panama but was not forced to take the oath of citizenship, even   
   though he was a naturalized citizen.   
      
   Birthers insist that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya   
   but was not forced to take the oath of citizenship, even though   
   he was a naturalized citizen.   
      
   What is a "natural born citizen" anyway?  The term is only   
   mentioned once in the U.S. Constitution, and to the best of   
   my knowledge has never been defined.   
      
   --Lee   
      
      
    * SLMR 2.1a * It's only a hobby ... only a hobby ... only a   
      
   --- Maximus 3.01   
    * Origin: Xaragmata / Adelaide SA telnet://xaragmata.mooo.com (3:800/432)