Bush's Iraqi puppets urge neighbours to end abuse of refugees

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AMMAN - Iraq on Thursday urged countries hosting more than 2 million Iraqi refugees who have fled violence at home to stop mistreating those arriving at their borders and avoid their forcible return until stability returns.

Iraq’s deputy foreign minister Mohammad al-Haj Hamoud, who was addressing a UN backed experts meeting on the status of refugees, said his country’s neighbours must alleviate the plight of the hundreds of thousands who fled to safety abroad after the U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“The moral and humanitarian duty dictates they extend their hand to ease the burden on the refugees and facilitate their stay until they can return back,” Hamoud told the gathering that was attended by delegates from Turkey, Iran and U.N agencies.

Up to half of the refugees are being sheltered by neighbours Syria and Jordan, which say they are struggling to shoulder the burden, while nearly 2 million are displaced across Iraq.