WASHINGTON, June 19, 2008

Report Slams U.S. Over Iraq Refugee Crisis

Survey: 500,000 Iraqis Fled Fighting In 2007; U.S. Accepted Half Of Those It Promised To Resettle

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(AP)  A half-million Iraqis fled their embattled country in 2007, the third consecutive year more Iraqis were displaced than any other nationality, a survey of the world's refugees reported Thursday.

As before, most went to neighboring Syria, and some fanned out into other neighboring countries, the survey by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants said. It said the United States accepted few, just over half the 3,000 it had promised to resettle by the end of September.

The report said the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees had referred 10,000 Iraqis for U.S. resettlement.

It said the Iraqi exodus "from the violence and instability of their homeland" constituted "the largest refugee crisis of 2007."

"While the Bush administration and the United Kingdom are busy trying to win the war, they have provided no leadership toward ensuring the rights and well-being of the victims of this war," the report said. "Europe, which for the most part warned of the dire humanitarian consequences of the war, has also done nothing to help the people they were so concerned about."

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said the survey "shows the United States still has far to go to support the rights of refugees worldwide."

"The United States has a moral obligation and a security interest in trying to alleviate the suffering of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons, particularly those who risked so much over the past few years to help our military and diplomatic efforts in their country," Cardin said Wednesday.

Iraqis were not the only group for which the survey faulted U.S. policies.

In its "Report Card" section, it gave the United States an "F," the lowest grade, for returning refugees to their home countries without hearing them out, a practice called "refoulement." China, Iran, Iraq, Russia, Libya and others failed the same category.

"We gave the United States an F in refoulement entirely for its treatment of Haitians," Merrill Smith, editor of the report, said Wednesday.

The survey said the United States interdicted 6,400 foreign nationals at sea in 2007, almost all Cubans or Haitians.

Cubans but not Haitians were told they had the right to seek asylum. Haitians who did not shout out their fear of reprisals at home were sent back, almost 1,600 in all. Cubans who did not accept the American offer of requesting asylum, 3,200 of them, were returned as well.

Quote

The United States still has far to go to support the rights of refugees worldwide.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.
For Cubans, the practice implements the "dry foot" policy that allows Cubans who cross the 90 miles of water between Cuba and south Florida to remain, but those caught at sea are returned unless they can claim valid refugee status. The policy does not include people fleeing Haiti.

"We use the 'shout test' for Haitians," Smith said. "If somebody hears a Haitian shout out a claim to asylum, he will not be sent back" until the claim is investigated.

Many countries treat refugees from different countries or areas differently. The survey rates a country's efforts for each ethnic or racial group and makes the country's overall score that of the lowest ethnic group.

"The mistreatment of refugees is not limited to poor countries or undemocratic regimes," the survey compilers wrote. "Wealthy industrial nations utilize policies designed to limit the number of refugees that enter their territory, explaining that they have limited resources, that refugees are unable to integrate or that some other country had primary responsibility."

Europe appears in a section titled "Worst Places for Refugees." Smith said it did not use the word "The" because there are too many violators to make that distinction.

"European countries have crafted policies that essentially deny access by making it as difficult as possible to enter their territory," the survey says. "Countries on the periphery of Europe had the harshest policies, protecting their wealthy neighbors to the north and west, often for money."

It faults European countries for forcibly returning failed asylum seekers "to manifestly dangerous situations." It cited:

France's dispatch of a Chadian asylum seeker to Chad, where he was detained and forcibly interrogated.

Sweden's deportation of an Iraqi directly to Baghdad.

Greece's assault on potential asylum seekers to force them back into Turkish waters, including an attempt to swamp them with waves; a Greek fisherman was shot and killed after he was mistaken for an asylum seeker.



© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Add a Comment See all 133 Comments
by gkc99 June 19, 2008 12:31 PM PDT
curious how CBS apparently has not seen fit to post the news about how a US major general confirms that war crimes were committed at Abu Ghraib under the instructions of George Bushit.
Reply to this comment
by demslie June 19, 2008 12:47 PM PDT
And of course CBS (Communist Broadcast System) would not mention that the %u201CReport%u201D from the group that no one has ever heard of, Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, is actually a complete bunch of California Democrats and Liberals who hate the United States and have no authority other than political. If you give money to this group, it will not go to refugees. It will go to the campaigns of Democrats. Check the web site at:

http://www.refugees.org/article.aspx?id=1146
Reply to this comment
by missingamerica June 19, 2008 12:47 PM PDT
"While the Bush administration and the United Kingdom are busy trying to win the war, they have provided no leadership toward ensuring the rights and well-being of the victims of this war,"

lolllll...well, duh.

What did the world expect from two nations who made no particular effort at "ensuring" they weren''t feeding the public lies in order to justify the war itself?
Reply to this comment
by demslie June 19, 2008 12:48 PM PDT
curious how CBS apparently has not seen fit to post the news about how a US major general confirms that war crimes were committed at Abu Ghraib under the instructions of George Bushit.

Posted by gkc99

That was not a news story. It was a lie printed by gkc99
Reply to this comment
by liberalme June 19, 2008 12:49 PM PDT
It said the Iraqi exodus "from the violence and instability of their homeland" constituted "the largest refugee crisis of 2007."


Great indication of the Bush regimes claims that "the surge is working"!
The greedy B-st--ds have no regard for human life of any kind and are arrogant enough to think we haven''t figured them out!
Bush and his loyalists are the vomit of the world.
Reply to this comment
by missingamerica June 19, 2008 12:50 PM PDT
And of course CBS (Communist Broadcast System) [...]

Posted by demslie at 12:47 PM : Jun 19, 2008

Careful, demslie - people will figure out that you are a typical Republican who believes that there is only so much "democracy" to go around, and it should be apportioned in accordance with how much your net worth is...
Reply to this comment
by liberalme June 19, 2008 12:58 PM PDT
What did the world expect from two nations who made no particular effort at "ensuring" they weren''''t feeding the public lies in order to justify the war itself?

Posted by ibsteve2u at 12:47

Aside from the fact, no one has ever explained what we''re going to win!
Reply to this comment
by standlee5 June 19, 2008 12:59 PM PDT
Why can''t the Arab world welcome their Muslim brothers and sisters and let them in. Send them to Dubai.
Reply to this comment
by standlee5 June 19, 2008 1:03 PM PDT
Why isn''t the report slamming Saudi Arabia. They got more money then we do. Do we EVER read about Arabs doing anything merciful. What AID do they offer the world with their oil wealth. They live like Kings and share nothing.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 1:11 PM PDT
standlee5,,,, Send them to Dubai ?? Dubai is loyal to the Saudi''s
Reply to this comment
by displeased June 19, 2008 1:12 PM PDT
Arabs are greedy, money-grubbing, godless heathens and they only care about themselves.
Posted by globlwarning

I think you just described Bush and Cheney.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 1:14 PM PDT
demslie,,,, Oh, you meen FOX didn''t have it as news ???
Reply to this comment
by displeased June 19, 2008 1:15 PM PDT
Why isn''''t the report slamming Saudi Arabia.
Posted by standlee5

Perhaps it''s because Saudi Arabia didn''t create this mess.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 1:15 PM PDT
demslie,,,, FOX won''t tell you this either -- General Petreaus has more the policy of Obama than he does McBush on Iraq & Afhganistan.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 1:21 PM PDT
Someone call a Code Blue on demslie
Reply to this comment
by donevis-2009 June 19, 2008 1:28 PM PDT
Instead of fleeing why didn''''t the able bodied men stay and help free their country.
Posted by dmw1167 at 01:11 PM : Jun 19, 2008

Pretty hard to do while trying to support a family. Imagine seeing your home destroyed, children, wife, husband, etc. killed because of a War brought to your country by someone else. They may not have had the ideal leader but they had jobs. homes, and something to eat. Wake up and smell the coffee. "God Speed USA"
Reply to this comment
by ioweign June 19, 2008 1:28 PM PDT
And of course CBS (Communist Broadcast System) [...]

Posted by demslie at 12:47 PM : Jun 19, 2008

Careful, demslie - people will figure out that you are a typical Republican who believes that there is only so much "democracy" to go around, and it should be apportioned in accordance with how much your net worth is...

Posted by ibsteve2u at 12:50 PM : Jun 19, 2008

As of 6/18/08, the GOP has stopped apportioning "democracy" and has implemented "leasing democracy" - a much better profit ratio...
Reply to this comment
by stevex47 June 19, 2008 1:38 PM PDT
"Hey Saudis. Blow me."

It''s your king boosh who blows the Saudi''s. They made his family so much money over the years, he kisses them and holds their hands.

Nice.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 1:42 PM PDT
stevex47,,,, Be careful what you wish for - And what you tell the Saudi''s to blow

They are buying 3 NYC Skyscrapers including the old American Lanmark the Chrysler Building.j
Reply to this comment
by jersupporter June 19, 2008 1:44 PM PDT
FOX won''''t tell you this either -- General Petreaus has more the policy of Obama than he does McBush on Iraq & Afhganistan. Posted by j-whitman
-------------------------------
That statement again proves your ignorance - please explain with facts please
Reply to this comment
by faith_in_w June 19, 2008 1:45 PM PDT
We can settle them in the inner city with the other undesirables.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 1:49 PM PDT
JERSupporter,,, Gladly, better yet I''ll give you the news you refuse to look at, how''s that ??? Hang on

They seem an odd couple: the general who engineered President Bush''s surge in Iraq, and the presidential candidate who has promised to undo it. But look again. Gen. David Petraeus''s broad new agenda as the likely next commander of Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. forces in the entire Middle East and Central Asia, seems to echo some of Barack Obama''s views about the critical front in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/142136
Reply to this comment
by checkthepast June 19, 2008 1:54 PM PDT
Someone must have invaded Mexico too, their immigration rate is the same....or perhaps both are looking for better lives away from the poverty they were raised in.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:01 PM PDT
checkthepast,,, I''d like to see a report on how many ended up in Mexico from all countries in question especially China, Yemen, Libya & Pakistan
Reply to this comment
by one-american June 19, 2008 2:08 PM PDT
The purveyors of this UN report can stick it where the sun doesn''t shine.

When was the last time the UN did anything worthwile on it''s own, instead of whining that the U.S. should do it FOR them? Are there no "conciensious objector nations" out there who opposed the war but are willing to do ANYTHING besides complain?

Apparently not.
Reply to this comment
by lewiston14 June 19, 2008 2:09 PM PDT
We dont need them of want them
Reply to this comment
by one-american June 19, 2008 2:13 PM PDT
"One-American, The UN does a hell of a lot of good in more areas & regions you have no clue of --- You would perfer it bombed ???"

Posted by j-whitman at 02:11 PM : Jun 19, 2008

Like Darfur? How about Bosnia? Myanmar (Burma)? Lebanon? Give it up, sub-boy.
Reply to this comment
by lewiston14 June 19, 2008 2:15 PM PDT
Think ill buy a truck of lumber and make custom made water boards. But I love going up the street 1 mile and hire me a mex to cut my grass for $3 and hour
Reply to this comment
by lewiston14 June 19, 2008 2:15 PM PDT
Think ill buy a truck of lumber and make custom made water boards. But I love going up the street 1 mile and hire me a mex to cut my grass for $3 and hour
Reply to this comment
by lewiston14 June 19, 2008 2:18 PM PDT
The UN is useless, Move it to china so we can turn the buildings into profit making office space
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:19 PM PDT
One-American,,, You are realy stupid aren''t you , But then again all you do is wrap yourself in the flag & ignore it.

The UN has to do juggling act of under funding & under suporting. --- With what they get they do a fine job.

I didn''t help much when your GOP put Kadafi on the UN Security Council with Veto Power -- Kadafi is the terrorist who bombed the Pan Am flight over Lockerby
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:21 PM PDT
lewiston14,,,, Be careful what you wish for -- Your GOP has already lost so many strategic assets - China has a bigger foothold & the prestiege America used to have proir to 2000
Reply to this comment
by Latrocinor June 19, 2008 2:23 PM PDT

Posted by j-whitman at 02:11 PM : Jun 19, 2008

Like Darfur? How about Bosnia? Myanmar (Burma)? Lebanon? Give it up, sub-boy.

Posted by One-American at
.. .. ..

and Rwanda, Cambodia, Uganda....
Reply to this comment
by lewiston14 June 19, 2008 2:31 PM PDT
Mr Whitman im not a GOP.
I call the as I see them. Comes from many years of life BTW I was going to say hi. Had not seen you in a while.. HI
Reply to this comment
by gkc99 June 19, 2008 2:33 PM PDT
From ABC News:
June 19, 2008 11:12 AM

Writing the forward to a Physicians for Human Rights study of 11 former detainees who were apparently tortured by US military personnel and later released, Army Maj. General Antonio Taguba (Ret.) writes that "there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account."

Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:36 PM PDT
bhoogren,,, Every one of those places the situations are far from unresoleved -- In Somolia terrorists are in control --- Remember Mogadishu ????

You want to bomb the UN or support it ?? It as most government needs to grow with growing global proplems & needs real support -- The support we give them is actually minimual & doesn''t keep up with the global weakening of the US Dollar
Reply to this comment
by mcvet June 19, 2008 2:44 PM PDT
The UN is useless, Move it to china so we can turn the buildings into profit making office space

Posted by lewiston14 at 02:18 PM : Jun 19, 2008

Really? If NOT for the UN the George W. Bush is WITHOUT a doubt a War Criminal! Not that it bothers me because I consider him one anyway. I know for some the UN is an embarrassment since the Little Nazi took office but it does an awlful lot for a lot of people. Sieg Heil Bush
Reply to this comment
by notblue June 19, 2008 2:46 PM PDT
Does this report slam the Islamic terrorists or just America for the refugee crisis? It was probably written with the help of the Democrats.
Reply to this comment
by mcvet June 19, 2008 2:48 PM PDT
Who knows by the time Sir Lies-A-Lot leaves office we may find ourselves on MORE list than this one... some of which we have NEVER, including this one, been on before. You know folks there was ONCE a time when America''s word actually had meaning... but that was before Powell''s UN Dog and Pony Show and so many lies about the Small Nation we have decided to "Fight them there instead of here". You do remember that there WERE no Terrorist or the like in Iraq BEFORE we invaded... But then who cares right fascist??? Sieg Heil Bush!!
Reply to this comment
by mcvet June 19, 2008 2:50 PM PDT
Does this report slam the Islamic terrorists or just America for the refugee crisis? It was probably written with the help of the Democrats.

Posted by notblue at 02:46 PM : Jun 19, 2008

What terrorist you pathetic Nazi?? ROFLMAO THERE WERE NONE there BEFORE Sir Lies-A-Lot!! YEAH that''s right swastika breath your Fuhrer and God invaded a Nation that had NO "Islamic Terrorist" in it!! Don''t that make you feel good??? Just think your GRAND CHILDREN can look back at you and your fuhrer with all the shame you deserve. Now stand... sing it out!! SIEG HEIL BUSH!!
Reply to this comment
by notblue June 19, 2008 2:50 PM PDT
j-whitman, you are nothing more than an anti-American ignorant buffoon. If you truly think China holds more prestige in the world how do expalin that America still leads the world in immigration? Have you seen the protests throughout the world against China in regards to there human rights violations in regards to the Olympic torch run? Why just head over to China so you can be proud.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:50 PM PDT
notblue,,,, Stop Hating America, this is only one report concerning conditituations even the Pro-Life people & conservatives should be reading & understanding.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:51 PM PDT
conditituations ?? Oop''s, it should have been conditions - My bad :)
Reply to this comment
by notblue June 19, 2008 2:53 PM PDT
MCVet, it''s not my fault you can''t understand the free world is fighting terrorism. Islamic terrorists, remember Al Qaeda? Oh that''s right, in your twisted hatefilled fantasy world it''s all fellow Americans who are at fault who you classify every day as NAZI''s, what a pathetic ignorant assshole you are, enjoy your life ingrate!
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:53 PM PDT
notblue,,, The immigration that little has been done to fix in America over the last 40 years of Old Archaic Politics from both parties ????
Reply to this comment
by notblue June 19, 2008 2:54 PM PDT
j-whitman, I love America it''s twerrorist supporters like you I hate just as much as the terrorists themselves.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:54 PM PDT
notblue,,, You might ask who''s fault it is why you still have know idea how to solve the terrorism issues ---- Blame your politics & your messenger.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:56 PM PDT
notblue,,, In other words you HATE 2/3rd''s of Americans.
Reply to this comment
by j-whitman June 19, 2008 2:58 PM PDT
notblue,,,, You Hate General Petreaus ??? His views are more in tune with Obama''s than McCain''s
Reply to this comment
by underdogus10 June 19, 2008 2:59 PM PDT
JOHN McCAIN IS A WAR HERO!! JWhitman is a wimpy loser!!
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