At least 200,000 fled Falluja, no early return seen

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BAK230382.htm

BAGHDAD, Dec 2 (Reuters) - More than 200,000 people who fled Falluja ahead of the U.S. offensive have yet to return and many are in desperate need of aid, with temperatures in Iraq heading towards freezing, a new U.N. emergency report says.

Figures compiled by the International Organisation for Migration show that 210,600 people, or more than 35,000 families, took refuge in towns and villages around Falluja in the build up to the U.S. assault, launched on Nov. 8.

Nearly all those people remain outside the city, where the population was estimated at 250,000-300,000 before the attack.

U.S. forces are maintaining a cordon around Falluja as sporadic fighting continues and are preventing refugees from returning, saying they want to stagger the return so that basic facilities can be restored before people go home.

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[leftchick]

1. must be 'on the march'

:(

[NNN0LHI]

2. Freedom continues to reign

Just imagine for a moment being free enough to live in a refugee camp. Must be nice.

Don

[Sideways]

3. Meanwhile My Benjamin Is In Week Four Of Boot Camp

And Zanti Regent lost his only son and I'm so afraid for Ben.

[Briar]

4. Ongoing collective punishment n/t

[Sideways]

5. But But But The Vote Is Only Weeks Away

"U.S. forces are maintaining a cordon around Falluja as sporadic fighting continues and are preventing refugees from returning, saying they want to stagger the return so that basic facilities can be restored before people go home."

How can this be?

[purduejake]

6. I thought we had a responsibility...

to protect and provide housing and basic needs for those who have been displaced. What in the hell has this country become?

[grumpy old fart]

8. Responsibility?

That's just some quaint notion that's gone the way of the Geneva Convention. Just ask the new Attorney General. No more Pottery Barn rules for us. We broke it? We ain't paying for shit, and fuck you.

[leftchick]

9. the only responsiblity the US has is to...

seize and control the oil. Ask cheney....

[Zep]

7. Look on the bright side ...

... That's 200,000+ who didn't get cremated.

[daleo]

10. Bush can build some refugee camps

I guess he might as well get the U.S. used to that, too. He can probably get a lawyer to come up with a creative legalism to declare these people stateless terrorists.