The Forgotten Victims of the U.S. War on Iraq
RolandTD20Kdrummer
Posts: 13,066
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/the-forgotten-victims-of-the-us-war-on-iraq/
"Between April 2003 and January 2007, the U.S. had resettled just 753 Iraqi refugees. The government promised to increase that number by 7,000 in the 2007 fiscal year, but recently admitted that only 1,608 had been resettled so far."
"The U.S. government has so far allowed fewer than 2,000 Iraqi refugees to settle in the U.S. At least 2,000 Iraqis are displaced every day, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). That’s more than 80 people per hour, around the clock–forced to flee their homes because of U.S. military activities, sectarian attacks and threats, and sheer desperation caused by the shattered Iraqi economy.
This is the reality of the Iraqi refugee crisis. At least 4.1 million Iraqis have been displaced so far–and the situation is getting worse, despite the supposed success of the “surge” in U.S. troops to Iraq.
Some 2.5 million Iraqis have been forced across the border into neighboring countries, mostly Jordan and Syria. Both countries are overwhelmed and recently moved to stop the flow of refugees.
As of September 10, Syria requires a visa for all Iraqis entering the country. Months earlier, Jordan restricted entry by requiring Iraqis to obtain residency permits or invitations issued for medical or educational purposes. Jordan previously tried to deny access to Iraqi men between the ages of 18 and 35. Expensive payments to smugglers or bribes are the only way around these obstacles.
But in spite of these harsh measures, Iraq’s neighbors have been far more generous to refugees than the U.S. or European countries.
Syria, with a population of just over 19 million, has allowed an estimated 1.4 million Iraqis free access to emergency health care and permitted Iraqi children to register for schools.
But only 35,000 of 250,000 school-aged Iraqi children attended school in Syria in the last academic year, according to UNHCR. Often, places in schools were simply not available. In many cases, children have to work in order to help support their families. And many refugees are isolated from aid agencies like UNHCR, which supply food aid and other support.
According to Amnesty International, a typical example is a woman who fled Iraq in July 2006 after her husband was killed by an armed group.
“I don’t have any income here, and all the savings I brought with me have been almost exhausted now,” she told interviewers. “My 12-year-old daughter and myself live in one room that we are renting from an Iraqi woman owner of the house, and we pay 5,000 Syrian pounds ($100) a month for this room. I don’t work, and no one is helping us.”
Such desperation has led to a rise in prostitution. Amnesty reported that “some Iraqi girls and women have been forced by their families to engage in prostitution to earn money to enable them to meet their daily needs, and there is concern that child prostitution and trafficking of Iraqi children is growing.”
Since the vast majority of Iraqi refugees aren’t permitted to work legally in Syria and Jordan–other than doctors, engineers and other professionals given special documents–many take menial jobs in the underground economy–for wages at least 30 percent lower.
Jordan, with a population of just 6 million, has absorbed an estimated 750,000 Iraqis. Most don’t have papers, which is tolerated by the government, but puts them at risk of deportation back to Iraq."
"Between April 2003 and January 2007, the U.S. had resettled just 753 Iraqi refugees. The government promised to increase that number by 7,000 in the 2007 fiscal year, but recently admitted that only 1,608 had been resettled so far."
"The U.S. government has so far allowed fewer than 2,000 Iraqi refugees to settle in the U.S. At least 2,000 Iraqis are displaced every day, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). That’s more than 80 people per hour, around the clock–forced to flee their homes because of U.S. military activities, sectarian attacks and threats, and sheer desperation caused by the shattered Iraqi economy.
This is the reality of the Iraqi refugee crisis. At least 4.1 million Iraqis have been displaced so far–and the situation is getting worse, despite the supposed success of the “surge” in U.S. troops to Iraq.
Some 2.5 million Iraqis have been forced across the border into neighboring countries, mostly Jordan and Syria. Both countries are overwhelmed and recently moved to stop the flow of refugees.
As of September 10, Syria requires a visa for all Iraqis entering the country. Months earlier, Jordan restricted entry by requiring Iraqis to obtain residency permits or invitations issued for medical or educational purposes. Jordan previously tried to deny access to Iraqi men between the ages of 18 and 35. Expensive payments to smugglers or bribes are the only way around these obstacles.
But in spite of these harsh measures, Iraq’s neighbors have been far more generous to refugees than the U.S. or European countries.
Syria, with a population of just over 19 million, has allowed an estimated 1.4 million Iraqis free access to emergency health care and permitted Iraqi children to register for schools.
But only 35,000 of 250,000 school-aged Iraqi children attended school in Syria in the last academic year, according to UNHCR. Often, places in schools were simply not available. In many cases, children have to work in order to help support their families. And many refugees are isolated from aid agencies like UNHCR, which supply food aid and other support.
According to Amnesty International, a typical example is a woman who fled Iraq in July 2006 after her husband was killed by an armed group.
“I don’t have any income here, and all the savings I brought with me have been almost exhausted now,” she told interviewers. “My 12-year-old daughter and myself live in one room that we are renting from an Iraqi woman owner of the house, and we pay 5,000 Syrian pounds ($100) a month for this room. I don’t work, and no one is helping us.”
Such desperation has led to a rise in prostitution. Amnesty reported that “some Iraqi girls and women have been forced by their families to engage in prostitution to earn money to enable them to meet their daily needs, and there is concern that child prostitution and trafficking of Iraqi children is growing.”
Since the vast majority of Iraqi refugees aren’t permitted to work legally in Syria and Jordan–other than doctors, engineers and other professionals given special documents–many take menial jobs in the underground economy–for wages at least 30 percent lower.
Jordan, with a population of just 6 million, has absorbed an estimated 750,000 Iraqis. Most don’t have papers, which is tolerated by the government, but puts them at risk of deportation back to Iraq."
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
-Big Fish
Innocent people? From the onset of Shock and Awe everyone that died in the Iraq was was innocent. The only guilty that died were those executed after trial.
The greatest numbers of dead occured in the first months of the war - and there is still absolutely no report on those numbers or names. The public seems to have just wiped it away with the thought that somehow these people were not innocent... even the people that felt the war was absolutely unwarented do not demand an accunting for the dead in the first 6 months of the war.
Just the the people of Germany as they were able to wash away rational thought as their leaders slaughtered millions.
I agree, and find this fact a bit disturbing. Without something catalyzing event to wash over the Iraq disaster, people are going to sit back and start to analyze what really did happen with Iraq, and want to hold people accountable. The international community upon reflection will start to demand it.
I think they realize this, and are very much interested in providing any distraction (Iran war) prior to stepping down from power.
They (Zionists) are now calling it world war 4. WW3 was the cold war apparently. Sick minds.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
(\__/)
( o.O)
(")_(")
Bush: "The U.S. is proving freedom for the Iraqi people!"
that's right Dubya, I just bet that these refugees love the freedom they've been given to have to flee their homes, with only what they can carry on their backs. All the while dodging bombs and bullets without any shelter, food, jobs and other basic human needs to try to get them and their families across into a safer country.
Americans and the US governemnt need not care because the Iraqis are FREE
:rolleyes:
angels share laughter
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Today from Democracy Now Listen/Watch/Read
Peace Activists Kathy Kelly and David Smith-Ferri on Iraq¹s Worsening
Refugee Crisis as the beat goes on. What are these neighboring countries going to do with these refugees. imagine the US taking on this many refugees, we can't or don't want to deal with our illegal immigration problem right now.
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)