A hard fact the dems should be exploiting- and aren't.

[cali]

There are 4.2 million Iraqi refugees: 2 million now outside the country and 2 million within Iraq. This is incredibly damning. After all, Iraq had a pre-invasion population of approximately 26 million. imagine if 48 million Americans were refugees.

This in itself is damning evidence of the failure in Iraq, and I just don't here this being brought up by the dems.

[tekisui]

1. Don't forget the 1 million dead Iraqis-- nt

[cali]

2. I never do, but

that's not the thrust of the argument I'd like to see made. People are constantly disputing the number of dead, thus hijacking the argument. No one disputes the refugee figures.

[tekisui]

7. good point

[Dawgs]

3. I agree.

Everytime I hear a freeper say "We freed millions of Iraqis" I want to scream 'Bullshit, millions of them have left the country in fear'.

[bigtree]

4. you're generalizing here

We Can't Ignore Iraq's Refugees
By Edward M. Kennedy
Saturday, December 30, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/29/AR2006122901066.html


NPR : Iraqi Exodus Draws Senate's Attention
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6881291

more . . .

[cali]

5. Yeah, I'm generalizing

I'm not saying no dem politician has addressed this; I'm suggesting that they develop a concentrated message about it.

[bigtree]

6. I think the most outrageous part of this

is the fact that only 109 Iraqi refugees have actually been allowed into the U.S. this year.* (corrected)


article: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/28/africa/ME-GEN-Jordan-US-Iraq.php

August 28, 2007

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey told reporters that the U.S. expects to resettle some 2,000 Iraqi refugees from the region by the end of September. The U.S. had a "moral obligation" to aid the most vulnerable refugees and those "who are in danger because of their affiliation with U.S. forces," she said.

But she ruled out the U.S. receiving massive numbers of Iraqis and said Washington's other moral obligation was to "provide the assistance necessary to help people continue to be in the region for when the day comes that Iraq is a stable country and people will have a home to return to."

The United States has come under criticism for accepting so few Iraqi refugees. Only 57 were settled in the United States last month, which brought the total over the last year to 190. This month it expects to take in 400 Iraqis.