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Home Front: WoT
Senators Denounce Bush Policy Limiting Refuge for Iraqis
2007-01-17
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 — Senate lawmakers sharply criticized the Bush administration on Tuesday for failing to provide refuge in the United States for the most vulnerable of the Iraqis fleeing the violence at home.

The United Nations estimates that two million Iraqis have fled the country and that 1.7 million are currently displaced within the country. Of those, roughly 500,000 have been displaced since February, with roughly 40,000 to 50,000 more fleeing their homes each month. Among them are Iraqis who have been threatened or attacked for working with American troops and companies.

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ellen Sauerbrey, an assistant secretary of state, acknowledged that only 466 Iraqis had been admitted as refugees since the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. She said that expanding the resettlement of vulnerable Iraqis in the United States was “a top priority.” Ms. Sauerbrey said the State Department was considering several options, including offering the Iraqis refugee or other special status, and expediting the processing of Iraqi religious minorities and of refugees who have worked for the American government.

The bipartisan panel of senators called for prompt action, warning that the United States was abandoning many Iraqis who had helped the United States — as translators, guides and contractors — at great personal risk.
They're trying their best to turn Iraq into Vietnam, complete with boat people.

“We have a special obligation to keep faith with the Iraqis who have bravely worked for us and have often paid a terrible price for it by providing them with safe refuge in the U.S.,” said Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who leads the Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee.
Not that you'd know anything about loyalty.
Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, asked Ms. Sauerbrey why the Bush administration was not doing more. “That’s a very small percentage of those who are in need,” Senator Specter said of the number of Iraqis resettled in the United States. He raised particular concerns about the status of 20,000 available refugee slots for the current fiscal year, which have yet to be allocated to any refugee group. “Why not use them now when there is such a crushing need?” Mr. Specter asked.
Because the idea is to fix Iraq, not to bring them all over here.
Within the Bush administration, there was, until quite recently, considerable hope that improving security in Iraq would lead many of the displaced to return home. In the Bush administration’s proposed report on refugee admissions, which was submitted to Congress last fall, officials said they hoped that “significant numbers of Iraqi refugees will ultimately be able to return to Iraq.”

That view has changed, officials say. “At present more Iraqis are fleeing their homes to other areas of Iraq and to neighboring countries than are returning,” Ms. Sauerbrey said.
Posted by:Anguper Hupomosing9418

#4  Whew! Good thing they've been so incompetent thus far, JosephM.
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-01-17 23:59  

#3  Highly doubt and don't believe that Dubya will purposefully, unilaterally "bug out". Again - is why new 9-11's/Amer Hiroshimas are important to Dubya's enemies. IMO As long as Dubya breathes, or until a new POTUS is chosen ala 2008, BTWN NOW + 2008 [JAN 2009]THE USA WILL STAY IN IRAQ + ME, THE USA WILL UNILATERALLY AND MILITARILY DEFEND ISRAEL, ME ALLIES-MODERS, JAPAN, SK, + TAIWAN. ETC. AS LONG AS DUBYA BREATHES, AS LONG AS DUBYA IS POTUS. "FASCIST/FAR RIGHT" > the DemoLeft is too PC saavy to say to Amer voters en masse that that WOT > "JUSTIFIED" ANTI-US SOCIALISM IN AMERICA + ANTI-US OWG, LIMITED vz FULL GOVT-ISM + TOTALITARIANISM, ......etal. I strongly doubt it does not matter to Amer's Leftist-Socialist enemies whether [anti-US] Socialism andor OWG is voluntarily = forcibly imposed on America. In addition, pre-9-11 and afterwards it was well-reported by various News/Net pundits that Osama = Radical Islam was purchasing or had purchased types of WMDS, including but not limited so-called "suitcase" or other mini-nukes on the black market. IFF THESE REPORTS ARE ONLY PARTIALLY ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, THE USA MUST PRESUME THAT A WMD + NUCLEARIZED ATTACK(S) AGZ AMERICA, INCLUDING AGZ THE US GOVT ITSELF IN WASHINGTON DC, IS PLANNED OR BEING PLANNED TO TAKE PLACE. US INTEL, etc. must presume that Dubya, the Congress, key Fed Agencies, and the National Command Authority ARE CURRENT + FUTURE TARGETS FOR CONVENTIONAL ANDOR NUCLEARIZED/WMD ATTACK. THIS IS WHY DUBYA IS CORRECT AND TO BE LAUDED FOR FIGHTING RADICAL ISLAM "OVER THERE", AND DITTO LAUDED FOR DOING SO DESPITE KNOWING HE COULD BE TARGETED TO GLOW-IN THE-DARK OR BLOWN TO ATOMS. A LIMITED ATTACK TO HURT = HUMILIATE AMERICA CAN EASILY BE TRANSFORMED INTO A FULL-SCALE ATTACK OF NATIONAL ANNIHILATION/DESTRUCTION ONCE A VIABLE OPPORTUNITY(S) IS RECOGNIZED BY AMER'S ENEMIES.

As similar to Japan's infamous BANZAI/GYOKUSAI ATTACKS from WW2, iff one believes that Radical Islamists see success + self-worth only in the afterlife, THEN ONE MUST ACCEPT THAT AMERS ARE DEALING WID DEDICATED FANATICS WHOM PREFER TO KILL AS MANY AMERS AS POSSIBLE BEFORE BEING DESTROYED THEMSELVES, TO CAUSE AS MANY AMER MILFOR + CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN ORDER TO DEMORALIZE, DELAY OR STOP AMERICA = AMER MIL FORCES, FROM VICTORY.

Americans want $$$, NOT to rule other nations that don't wanna be American. THAT BEING SAID, WORSE-TO-WORSE AMERICANS WILL ATTACK, CONQUER + DESTROY OTHER NATIONS TO SAVE OURSELVES AND OURS. AMERS ARE LOUSY AT STARTING WARS BUT D**** NED OUTSTANDING + UNEQUALED IN WINNING = FINISHING THEM.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-01-17 22:59  

#2  Â“Why not use them now when there is such a crushing need?”

Maybe Senator it’s because Syria and the other syndicate regimes have been willing to accept only the “refugees” with suitcases full of cash. A flood of seething uneducated peasants across their border may help them realize there is a downside to their actions. Sometimes a little “Imminent Humanitarian Crisis” is just what the doctor ordered.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2007-01-17 11:34  

#1  For once I actually agree with the Swimmer. If we are going to bug out of Iraq, we should not leave our 'terps behind to be slaughtered. They and their families should be offered refuge - "they can do the jobs Americans won't" (like translate all those documents from the Saddam era that are still piled up?)
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-01-17 08:07  

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