Bush Urged to Add Iraqi Refugees to Mideast Agenda
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 8 (OneWorld) - The heads of 21 international humanitarian organizations have sent a letter to George W. Bush, demanding the U.S. president address Iraq's "refugee crisis" during his week-long trip to the Middle East, which begins Wednesday.
"This displacement crisis has grave humanitarian implications as well as potential negative ramifications for regional security," the letter said. Among those signing the letter are the directors of Refugees International, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Human Rights First, and the International Rescue Committee. Faith-based groups including Episcopal Migration Ministries, the Jesuit Refugee Service, Mennonite Central Committee, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) also signed on. "My sense is that there's a level of fatigue in being able to have the appropriate amount of concern for what's happening in the region," AFSC's Peter Lems told OneWorld. "The number of the refugees, the number of dead; everything's so large. We can lose our creativity and lose our ability to engage as human beings with what we've created in the Middle East." The issue of Iraqi refugees does not appear on President Bush's agenda for the trip. Speaking to reporters before Bush's departure, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said the trip would "highlight our work in the region to combat terrorism and extremism, promote freedom, and seek peace and prosperity." "The president will stress the importance of supporting the young democracies and the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and the Palestinians," Hadley said. "He will have an opportunity to discuss with friends and allies the challenges to the region, including the challenges presented by Iran and ways to strengthen regional security and advance our economic ties to the region." But the humanitarian groups believe peace and prosperity in the Middle East cannot be achieved without a focus on Iraq's refugees.
Of the estimated 2.5 million Iraqis forced to flee their country, approximately 1.4 million have gone to Syria. Another 500,000 have gone to Jordan. President Bush does not plan to visit either country as part of his trip, which will take him to Israel, the West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. "It's very distressing that he's not going to Jordan, given their role as a host country for Iraqi refugees," said Jacob Kurtzer of Refugees International. "He'll be right next door in Israel and he could actually drive from Israel to Jordan in under an hour." Both Syria and Jordan have begun to limit the rights of Iraqi refugees in the face of tremendous numbers of people crossing over their Eastern borders. Jordan started to restrict access once it became clear that fully one in eight of its residents were now Iraqis. On September 10, Syria announced that Iraqis would need visas to enter the country. Iraqis are not able to work legally in either country, causing some to return home despite the continued threat of violence. Kurtzer hopes Bush will use his trip to wealthy Gulf States to pressure them to help Jordan and Syria bear the costs of hosting Iraqi refugees until the fighting subsides. "It threatens their stability and security," Kurtzer told OneWorld, adding: "There's a shared responsibility in international crises. It's not unreasonable to expect wealthy Gulf States to contribute to the humanitarian needs of their Arab brothers." Bush plans to visit the Gulf after his stops in Israel and the Occupied West Bank. On Saturday, Bush is scheduled to visit with Kuwaiti women and U.S. troops. He will then meet with leaders of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt over the next four days, before returning to the White House on Wed., Jan. 16. ....................................................................................
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