Claim that Iraq war is won is proved a lie by admission of refugees
(Note: below the Reuters story, Hannon has posted a letter he wrote today to his senators and congressman about this.)
If the U.S. is “winning,” or even “has won,” the war in Iraq, and if Iraq is becoming, or has become, a safe, peaceful, stable, free, self-governing society, why are we admitting tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees starting this year?
Reuters reports September 12:
The United States has surpassed its goal of admitting 12,000 Iraqi refugees this year and expects more, perhaps tens of thousands, next year, the State Department said on Friday.
The United States expects to admit a minimum of 17,000 Iraqi refugees in fiscal 2009, which begins October 1, the department’s senior coordinator for refugees said. Thousands more Iraqis and their family members could arrive through a special visa program for people who worked for the United States or its contractors.
“I think you’ll see the U.S. government admitting over the course of fiscal 2009 tens of thousands of Iraqis into the United States,” coordinator James Foley told reporters.
Up to 3,000 could come from Baghdad, where the United States began interviews this year, he said.
So far this year, 12,118 Iraqi refugees have arrived and 1,000 more are booked to travel to the United States by the end of this month, when the U.S. fiscal year ends, he said.
That marks a huge leap from just 1,600 Iraqis admitted in the previous year. That number drew widespread criticism from refugee groups that said Washington should do more to help millions of Iraqis who have fled instability and violence since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
The number is still lower than what some other countries have taken. Sweden, a country of 9 million people, has admitted over 40,000 Iraqis since 2003.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates 2 million Iraqis are living abroad, mostly in neighboring Jordan and Syria. Some 2.5 million are internally displaced.
One refugee advocacy group, Human Rights First, said it welcomed the news Washington had met its target for Iraqi arrivals in 2008 but that the “low” goal of resettling 17,000 refugees in fiscal 2009 should be raised to at least 30,000.
“The number of Iraqi refugees we have welcomed to our shores is still just a fraction of those in need,” said Amelia Templeton of the New York-based group. She said the U.N. refugee agency estimated that 85,000 Iraqi refugees from the most vulnerable groups would need resettlement next year.
Foley called on the government of oil-rich Iraq to do more to help Iraqi refugees abroad as well as plan for returning Iraqis by addressing their needs for security, social services and property compensation.
So far, he said, Iraq had spent only about $25 million to help its refugees abroad, and provided about $200 million for an initiative to help returning refugees. The latter amount was “rather small,” considering the number of Iraqi refugees and the improving security situation inside Iraq, Foley said.
“One cannot rule out in these situations the possibility that the refugees in large numbers themselves will decide it’s time to go back, but will the Iraqi government be ready for that? That’s what we have to prepare for I think,” Foley said.
The United States spent over $318 million in humanitarian aid for Iraqi refugees this year, Foley said. Washington sought support from other donors, “particularly in the region, not to mention, the government of Iraq itself.”
Foley said he was grateful that Syria, a country with which the United States has strained relations, had agreed to a new facility for refugee processing, which would enable Washington to handle larger numbers of refugees.
- end of initial entry -
Terry Morris writes:
You’re right, that we’re increasing the number of Iraqi refugees we’re allowing into the country is evidence that the war is not yet won, and that the Iraqi government is unstable.
Incidentally, I have an employee who just recently returned from Iraq. He told me a story a few days ago about an Iraqi citizen that worked for his outfit as a guide and interpreter (I was surprised to learn how much we pay these individuals for their services.). Without going into detail, he and others in his group had suspected that this individual was responsible for one particularly suspicious fatal roadside bomb which killed some of my employee’s compatriots. According to my employee’s story the Iraqi in question was summarily dismissed by the ranking officers in his unit shortly thereafter, partially because he was being threatened by members of the unit. But I wonder how many such individuals are among the refugees about to enter the country?
My employee came back with a very low view of the Iraqis. As he stated it to me, “they are lazy, and they’ll stab ya in the back.”
Of course, I’ve been questioning the character of Iraqi citizens since before the invasion.
Hannon writes:
Here is what I wrote to my Congressional representatives this morning.
Dear Senator:
The issue of Iraqi refugees has come up in the news again. There are now plans afoot to increase 2008 levels to well over 15,000 Iraqi refugees for FY 2009. As I have expressed to you before, I am strongly opposed to these misguided efforts in aiding the people of Iraq. The violent internecine strife in that country, as well as the demand for perpetual “war” against the infidels commanded by the Koran, serve to illustrate my concerns about granting admission to Muslims from Muslim countries. There is simply no way to distinguish the so-called moderate, peaceful Muslims from those who would mean us harm. That supposed distinction is a red herring.
Already we have growing problems in the United States with belligerent Muslims demanding special provision for prayer times at work, dubious foot washing stations in airports and universities (unheard of in such public places in Muslim countries!), suppression of criticism of Islam that is abetted by the media and the regular filing claims of discrimination against “hate speech” that they consider to be an insult to the prophet or to Islam.
The Muslim reaction to such religious grievances stands in striking contrast to that of Christians and other groups who are expected to endure all manner of insult and abuse. Greater numbers of Muslims means political empowerment for them and increasing levels of confrontation for all concerned. We need only look to the UK or Sweden or France to see this process unfolding. There is every indication that, once arrived here, Muslims form protective enclaves and do not assimilate into our cultural landscape, in spite of any tendencies toward business acumen. In parts of Europe, large Muslim families arguably demand more of the social-economic system than they contribute, owing to high birth rates and partaking of welfare. I realize it is a different “class” of Muslim that takes up residence in the U.S. for the most part—relatively moneyed and educated and disposed to entrepreneurship—but it is doubtful that Iraqi refugees in general would take up such roles.
While I sympathize with the Iraqis on their terms and in their territory, I cannot see any justification for allowing refugee status to them. An exception could be made for those under grave and well-documented persecution, e.g., because they are politically under acute mortal threat. But is this not a flood gate scenario involving many tens of thousands of people? Where does it end? If we have the strength to say “No” at the beginning and instead focus our efforts on making Iraq itself a more livable country (one of President Bush’s promotional arguments) everyone is better off. Furthermore, if Iraq is now stabilizing and Iraq now has considerable oil income, these are good reasons why there is no excuse for them not sorting out their own problems for their own people. They need to find ways of managing their affairs without depending on America as an escape valve. It is the responsibility of the Federal branch to look after, first and foremost, her extant citizens before reaching out to the needy citizens of the world. The Fed can barely do that, and adding refugees of radically dissimilar culture and belief will only add to existing stresses on American society. I implore you, Senator, to reject any proposal to allow the continued unqualified immigration of thousands of Iraqis to our country.
Sincerely,
Posted by Lawrence Auster at September 13, 2008 01:26 PM | Send