We Can't Ignore Iraq's Refugees by Edward Kennedy - WPost

[applegrove]

We Can't Ignore Iraq's Refugees
Washington Post
By Edward M. Kennedy
Saturday, December 30, 2006; Page A21

"With the nation still at war in Iraq, each of us is deeply grateful to the brave men and women in our armed forces who celebrated the holidays this year with half their hearts at home and half in Iraq. But this year especially it is essential that we also reflect on another human cost of the war -- the hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children who have fled their homes and often their country to escape the violence of a nation increasingly at war with itself.

The refugees are witnesses to the cruelty that stains our age, and they cannot be overlooked. America bears heavy responsibility for their plight. We have a clear obligation to stop ignoring it and help chart a sensible course to ease the refugee crisis. Time is not on our side. We must act quickly and effectively.

Today, within Iraq, 1.6 million people have already fled or been expelled from their homes. An additional 1.8 million, fleeing sectarian violence, kidnappings, extortion, death threats and carnage, have sought refuge in neighboring countries. At least 700,000 are in Jordan, 600,000 in Syria, 100,000 in Egypt, 54,000 in Iran and 20,000 in Lebanon. Typically they are not living in refugee camps but have relocated in urban areas, where they must draw on their own meager resources to pay for food and shelter, and must depend on the good graces of the host governments.

The neighboring countries, in turn, are under enormous financial stress from the rapidly increasing needs of the refugees. In Jordan, they now make up more than 10 percent of the population -- the equivalent of 30 million people flooding America's shores. These countries are increasingly unable to meet the refugees' basic needs.

.........SNIP"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/29/AR2006122901066.html

[IDemo]

1. This story has been otherwise totally ignored by the MSM

Along with the 2,998 US fatalities and 600-650 thousand Iraqis, 3.4 million displaced citizens represents a huge number whose lives have been forever destroyed by Bush's grand adventure. Yet I feel pretty confident they will be Katrinized and forgotten until the US is in capable hands again.

"Sadly, as with so many other aspects of the Iraq war -- from the growing threat of the insurgency to the need to provide adequate armor for our troops -- the administration has failed to recognize the breadth of the crisis and to adjust our policy to address the plain facts on the ground."

[applegrove]

2. Good point about the MSM. I found this on Huffington Post. Takes

a famous politician to make it news. Shame on MSM.