4.2 million Iraqis are now displaced

[bemildred]

Source: AP/Yahoo

GENEVA - More than 4 million Iraqis have now been displaced by violence in the country, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday, warning that the figure will continue to rise.

The number of Iraqis who have fled the country as refugees has risen to 2.2 million, said Jennifer Pagonis, spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. A further 2 million have been driven from their homes but remain within the country, increasingly in "impoverished shanty towns," she said.

Pagonis said UNHCR is receiving "disturbing reports" of regional authorities doing little to provide displaced people with food, shelter and other basic services.

"Individual governorates inside Iraq are becoming overwhelmed by the needs of the displaced," Pagonis told reporters in Geneva, where UNHCR has its headquarters.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070605/ap_on_re_mi_ea/un_iraq_refugees

[bemildred]

1. President Bush Visits Prague, Czech Republic, Discusses Freedom

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To confront this enemy, America and our allies have taken the offensive with the full range of our military, intelligence, and law enforcement capabilities. Yet this battle is more than a military conflict. Like the Cold War, it's an ideological struggle between two fundamentally different visions of humanity. On one side are the extremists, who promise paradise, but deliver a life of public beatings and repression of women and suicide bombings. On the other side are huge numbers of moderate men and women -- including millions in the Muslim world -- who believe that every human life has dignity and value that no power on Earth can take away.

President George W. Bush emphasizes a point as he delivers remarks Tuesday, June 5, 2007, to democracy advocates at Czernin Palace in Prague. The President told his audience, "The most powerful weapon in the struggle against extremism is not bullets or bombs -- it is the universal appeal of freedom. Freedom is the design of our Maker, and the longing of every soul. Freedom is the best way to unleash the creativity and economic potential of a nation. Freedom is the only ordering of a society that leads to justice. And human freedom is the only way to achieve human rights." White House photo by Chris Greenberg The most powerful weapon in the struggle against extremism is not bullets or bombs -- it is the universal appeal of freedom. Freedom is the design of our Maker, and the longing of every soul. Freedom is the best way to unleash the creativity and economic potential of a nation. Freedom is the only ordering of a society that leads to justice. And human freedom is the only way to achieve human rights.

Expanding freedom is more than a moral imperative -- it is the only realistic way to protect our people in the long run. Years ago, Andrei Sakharov warned that a country that does not respect the rights of its own people will not respond to the rights of its neighbors. History proves him right. Governments accountable to their people do not attack each other. Democracies address problems through the political process, instead of blaming outside scapegoats. Young people who can disagree openly with their leaders are less likely to adopt violent ideologies. And nations that commit to freedom for their people will not support extremists -- they will join in defeating them.

For all these reasons, the United States is committed to the advance of freedom and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and radicalism. (Applause.) And we have a historic objective in view. In my second inaugural address, I pledged America to the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world. Some have said that qualifies me as a "dissident president." If standing for liberty in the world makes me a dissident, I wear that title with pride. (Applause.)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070605-8.html

[fooj]

7. His hypocrisy is stunning.

goal of ending tyranny in our world

Tell that to the Iraqi's. :mad:

[bemildred]

10. I thought so.

As near as I can figure, once we are all displaced persons living in the middle of a military quagmire, we will all have the blessings of "freedom".

[Jed Dilligan]

2. That's more than 10%, isn't it.

Has to be some sort of benchmark for a "failed state." That's like if we had 35 million homeless in America.

[bemildred]

3. IIRC it's about 16% of pre-invasion population, 1 in 6. nt

[Captain Hilts]

4. What would Barbara Bush say about that? nt

[bemildred]

5. Her beautiful mind would not be polluted by such statistics. nt

[aaronbees]

11. She'd say it's "working very well for them"....

And that the refugees must be "overwhelmed by the hospitality."

[Captain Hilts]

13. Bingo aaronbees! How soon our fellow DUers forget! nt

[aaronbees]

16. Her indifference to the reality Katrina evacuees faced ....

is something that will stay with me forever. It pretty much encapsulated the federal government's response. Certainly, you could see that attitude in her malevolent offspring.

:kick:

[troubleinwinter]

6. I am so glad you posted this.

I was talking with a DU pal the other day about the fact that we NEVER see or hear about this horrendous issue on MSM.

"The Bush administration says it will allow up to 7,000 Iraqis to settle permanently in the U.S. — up from 202 in 2006"

"4 million Iraqis have now been displaced"

[Gen. Jack D. Ripper]

14. I agree, this isn't talked about nearly enough

For years I have been hearing about the glorious liberation of Iraq from the pro-war right. Well maybe I have a different definition of "liberation," but with over 4 million Iraqis displaced and a minimum of 65,000 civilians killed, I would say, liberation failed. But, perhaps I'm just a 'glass-half-empty' kinda guy.

[babylonsister]

8. And isn't it big of the US to 'allow' 700 Iraqis into this country?

:sarcasm:

[bdamomma]

9. unbelieveable, we destroyed or should I say * screwed so many

people, he has to be stopped.

[RedEarth]

12. Keep in mind that's the equivalent of approximately 40 million US citizens

either being displaced or leaving the country. Don't you think there might be some outrage if that happened here.

[Barrett808]

15. What an appalling catastrophe the Bush mob has unleashed on these people. n/t

[ckramer]

17. The result of compassionate Bush conservatism!

Anything less is condemned!