Monday, October 08, 2007
128,000 Iraqi refugees register with UNHCR in Syria
Humanitarian
(DPA) -- More than 128,000 Iraqi refugees were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) by the start of the UN refugee agency's mobile registration programme in the northeast of the country on Monday.
The UNHCR said in a statement that the registration team started the programme in Al Hassakeh Governorate where it estimates that over 6,000 Iraqi refugees will be registered during a two month period. The agency said so far its office in Damascus has recorded more than 128,000 Iraqis, of whom 87,432 were registered in 2007.
The registration highlighted the 'vulnerability of many of these refugees with one in five registered this year having a serious medical condition, and one in five being classified as survivors of violence or torture in Iraq,' UNHCR statement said.
'It is a priority for UNHCR to reach vulnerable Iraqi refugees throughout the country. This mobile registration will help us to identify the refugees that need our help the most. In parallel we plan to expand our assistance rapidly throughout the country,' UNHCR Syria Representative Laurens Jolles said. The Syrian government estimates there are around 1.6 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, most of them living in Damascus and its surrounds.
The UNHCR said in a statement that the registration team started the programme in Al Hassakeh Governorate where it estimates that over 6,000 Iraqi refugees will be registered during a two month period. The agency said so far its office in Damascus has recorded more than 128,000 Iraqis, of whom 87,432 were registered in 2007.
The registration highlighted the 'vulnerability of many of these refugees with one in five registered this year having a serious medical condition, and one in five being classified as survivors of violence or torture in Iraq,' UNHCR statement said.
'It is a priority for UNHCR to reach vulnerable Iraqi refugees throughout the country. This mobile registration will help us to identify the refugees that need our help the most. In parallel we plan to expand our assistance rapidly throughout the country,' UNHCR Syria Representative Laurens Jolles said. The Syrian government estimates there are around 1.6 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, most of them living in Damascus and its surrounds.
Labels: Al Hassakeh Governorate, Iraqi refugees, Syria, UNHCR
Friday, October 05, 2007
Iraqis prevented from entering Syria without visas
Travel
(DPA) -- For the first time under a new visa regime to stem the flow of Iraqi refugees into the country, 10 Iraqis were prevented Wednesday from entering Syria without visas, an Iraqi party leader living in Syria said Thursday. The Iraqi politician, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the 10 Iraqis tried to get visas from Syrian embassies abroad but they were told that there were no instructions as to the new visa system applied two weeks ago by the Syrian government only on Iraqis.
The Iraqi official further added that the Syrian-Iraqi borders seemed the past two days almost deserted after previously receiving between 1,500 and 2,000 Iraqis every day. Any Arab is allowed to enter Syria without a visa. However, after the massive flow of Iraqi refugees from the ongoing conflict in that country into Syria, the Syrian government decided to impose visas on any visiting Iraqi.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres, about 2 million Iraqis have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, particularly in Jordan and Syria, placing a heavy burden on their hosts. In Syria, which sees the arrival of an estimated 40,000 Iraqis a month, refugees are seen to be contributing to a rise in the cost of housing and goods and the overcrowding of schools.
About 1.5 million Iraqi refugees currently live in Syria. The Syrian government provides the Iraqi refugees with free education and health care, but can no longer cope with the influx of Iraqis.
The Iraqi official further added that the Syrian-Iraqi borders seemed the past two days almost deserted after previously receiving between 1,500 and 2,000 Iraqis every day. Any Arab is allowed to enter Syria without a visa. However, after the massive flow of Iraqi refugees from the ongoing conflict in that country into Syria, the Syrian government decided to impose visas on any visiting Iraqi.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres, about 2 million Iraqis have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, particularly in Jordan and Syria, placing a heavy burden on their hosts. In Syria, which sees the arrival of an estimated 40,000 Iraqis a month, refugees are seen to be contributing to a rise in the cost of housing and goods and the overcrowding of schools.
About 1.5 million Iraqi refugees currently live in Syria. The Syrian government provides the Iraqi refugees with free education and health care, but can no longer cope with the influx of Iraqis.
Labels: Iraq, refugees, Syria, visas
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Syria to drop visa demand during Ramadan
Region
(AFP) - Syria said on Thursday it would drop visa restrictions for Iraqis fleeing the violence at home as a goodwill gesture for the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. The decision is aimed at allowing Iraqi families to meet during the month, an official said, adding that visas would once again be required after Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan on about October 12,
About 30,000 Iraqis fleeing violence in their own country are arriving each month in neighbouring Syria, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which estimates the total number of refugees at more than four million. Syria had announced it would impose visa restrictions on Iraqis from September 10 in a bid to control the flood of refugees. It was also planning to permit only those Iraqis who were from the economic, commercial and scientific sectors to enter Syria.
About 30,000 Iraqis fleeing violence in their own country are arriving each month in neighbouring Syria, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which estimates the total number of refugees at more than four million. Syria had announced it would impose visa restrictions on Iraqis from September 10 in a bid to control the flood of refugees. It was also planning to permit only those Iraqis who were from the economic, commercial and scientific sectors to enter Syria.
Labels: Eid al-Fitr, Iraq, Ramadan, Syria, visas
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Syria imposes Iraqi visa requirement
Region
(Voices of Iraq) - The decision to impose a visa requirement on Iraqis seeking entering Syria put into force on Monday morning, an official source in al-Rabeeayia border checkpoint with Syria, noting that truck and cab drivers are giving a one-year visa for USD 200. "Iraqis have to resort to the Syrian embassy in Baghdad to obtain the visa," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on condition of anonymity.
"The decision excludes Iraqi diplomats who seek to enter Syria," he also said. "The crossing point became empty from travelers," the source noted. For their part, a number of owners of transport and travel companies in Zakho said that the visa decision affected negatively on their work, because it decreased the number of Iraqis who travel to Syria and vice versa.
Syria Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem had informed his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zibari about his country's decision to require visas from Iraqi nationals as of September 10. Moallem asked the Iraqi government to cooperate in this regard.
"The decision excludes Iraqi diplomats who seek to enter Syria," he also said. "The crossing point became empty from travelers," the source noted. For their part, a number of owners of transport and travel companies in Zakho said that the visa decision affected negatively on their work, because it decreased the number of Iraqis who travel to Syria and vice versa.
Syria Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem had informed his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zibari about his country's decision to require visas from Iraqi nationals as of September 10. Moallem asked the Iraqi government to cooperate in this regard.
Labels: al-Rabeeayia, Iraq, Syria, visas
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Iraqi parliament urges Syria to cancel visa requirements
Regional
(Voices of Iraq) - The Iraqi parliament urged Syria on Tuesday to cancel its decision to impose a visa requirement on Iraqis seeking entering Syria, while Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sent a senior official to Damascus to discuss this question.
"The parliament called on Syria during its first session of the second legislative term the Syrian government to cancel the visa requirement to be imposed on Iraqi nationals as of September 10," Member of the parliament Abdul Khaleq Zangana, the head of the displaced committee, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The Iraqi government is obliged to find a solution for the current crises facing the Iraqi refugees abroad," he also said, calling on the government and the U.N. Higher Commissioner for Refugees to take a quick action to solve the problem. The Syrian government decided last Thursday to impose a visa requirement on Iraqis seeking entering Syria as of September 10.
"The Syrian Foreign Minister Waleed al-Moualim informed his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zibari by telephone that his country decided to impose a visa requirement as of September 10, 2007, on Iraqi nationals seeking entry to Syria for economic, commercial and scientific purposes, and asked for the Iraqi government cooperation in this respect," the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said last Thursday.
The move is seen as an attempt by Syria, home to as many as 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, to reduce the flow of more than 30,000 Iraqi refugees every month. The MP said that the parliament sent a number of lawmakers to talk with the Syrian government in an attempt to cancel the decision, urging the Iraqi government to adopt measures to help Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Iraqi government Ali al-Dabagh told VOI "Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sent a senior envoy to Syria to avoid the negative repercussions of that decision on the Iraqi refugees."
Syria is one of the easiest countries for Iraqis to visit because they can stay up to six months then simply leave any border crossing and re-enter the country the same day to have a new six months' stay permit. It was unclear how the rules would affect Iraqis who try to enter Syria simply to take refuge.
Syria and Jordan host the largest number of the more than 2 million displaced Iraqis and both governments complain of the increasing burdens on their health and education infrastructures. Jordan has made it more difficult to Iraqis to enter in the past to help reduce the flow. During a visit to Syria last month, al-Maliki pledged to help Syria on the increasing flow of refugees from Iraq, most of them are living in the capital, Damascus, and the suburbs. Diplomatic relations were restored between Iraq and Syria in 2006.
"The parliament called on Syria during its first session of the second legislative term the Syrian government to cancel the visa requirement to be imposed on Iraqi nationals as of September 10," Member of the parliament Abdul Khaleq Zangana, the head of the displaced committee, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The Iraqi government is obliged to find a solution for the current crises facing the Iraqi refugees abroad," he also said, calling on the government and the U.N. Higher Commissioner for Refugees to take a quick action to solve the problem. The Syrian government decided last Thursday to impose a visa requirement on Iraqis seeking entering Syria as of September 10.
"The Syrian Foreign Minister Waleed al-Moualim informed his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zibari by telephone that his country decided to impose a visa requirement as of September 10, 2007, on Iraqi nationals seeking entry to Syria for economic, commercial and scientific purposes, and asked for the Iraqi government cooperation in this respect," the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said last Thursday.
The move is seen as an attempt by Syria, home to as many as 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, to reduce the flow of more than 30,000 Iraqi refugees every month. The MP said that the parliament sent a number of lawmakers to talk with the Syrian government in an attempt to cancel the decision, urging the Iraqi government to adopt measures to help Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan. Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Iraqi government Ali al-Dabagh told VOI "Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sent a senior envoy to Syria to avoid the negative repercussions of that decision on the Iraqi refugees."
Syria is one of the easiest countries for Iraqis to visit because they can stay up to six months then simply leave any border crossing and re-enter the country the same day to have a new six months' stay permit. It was unclear how the rules would affect Iraqis who try to enter Syria simply to take refuge.
Syria and Jordan host the largest number of the more than 2 million displaced Iraqis and both governments complain of the increasing burdens on their health and education infrastructures. Jordan has made it more difficult to Iraqis to enter in the past to help reduce the flow. During a visit to Syria last month, al-Maliki pledged to help Syria on the increasing flow of refugees from Iraq, most of them are living in the capital, Damascus, and the suburbs. Diplomatic relations were restored between Iraq and Syria in 2006.
Labels: Iraqi parliament, Iraqi refugees, Syria, visas, Waleed al-Moualim
Monday, September 03, 2007
Syria to require visas for Iraqis
Region
(AP) -- Syria, home to as many as 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, has decided to require visas for Iraqis entering the country for economic, trade and educational purposes, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said Thursday. The new rules take effect Sept. 10, the ministry said in a statement on its Web site. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was informed about the Syrian decision by his counterpart Walid Moallem in a telephone conversation Thursday, the ministry said.
Syria's move is seen as an attempt by the Arab state to reduce the flow of more than 30,000 Iraqi refugees every month. Syria is one of the easiest countries for Iraqis to visit because they can stay up to six months then simply leave any border crossing and enter the same day to start a new six months. It was unclear how the rules would affect Iraqis who try to enter Syria simply to take refuge.
Syria and Jordan host the largest number of the more than 2 million displaced Iraqis and both governments complain of the increasing burdens on their health and education infrastructures. Jordan has made it more difficult to Iraqis to enter in the past to try reduce the flow.
During a visit to Syria earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki pledged to help Syria on the increasing flow of refugees from Iraq - about 1.5 million are living in Syria, mostly in the capital, Damascus, and the suburbs. The head of the U.N. refugee agency on Thursday praised Syria and Jordan for taking in fleeing Iraqis and urged the international community to show its solidarity by providing more direct, bilateral support.
Syria's move is seen as an attempt by the Arab state to reduce the flow of more than 30,000 Iraqi refugees every month. Syria is one of the easiest countries for Iraqis to visit because they can stay up to six months then simply leave any border crossing and enter the same day to start a new six months. It was unclear how the rules would affect Iraqis who try to enter Syria simply to take refuge.
Syria and Jordan host the largest number of the more than 2 million displaced Iraqis and both governments complain of the increasing burdens on their health and education infrastructures. Jordan has made it more difficult to Iraqis to enter in the past to try reduce the flow.
During a visit to Syria earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki pledged to help Syria on the increasing flow of refugees from Iraq - about 1.5 million are living in Syria, mostly in the capital, Damascus, and the suburbs. The head of the U.N. refugee agency on Thursday praised Syria and Jordan for taking in fleeing Iraqis and urged the international community to show its solidarity by providing more direct, bilateral support.
Labels: Hoshiyar Zebari, Iraqi refugees, Syria, visas, Walid Moallem
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
U.S. to support Iraqi refugees with $30 mn. education grant
Education
(AP) -- The top U.S. envoy on refugees announced Tuesday that the United States will increase its support to countries hosting Iraqi refugees with a $30 million grant for education. Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey said the money will help pay for schooling in countries like Jordan, where tens of thousands of young Iraqis recently began attending government schools.
Jordan and Syria host the largest percentage of the more than 2 million Iraqis who have been displaced by the war and they have complained of the increasing burden on their health and education systems. Smaller numbers of Iraqis have fled to Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey. The grant will go toward a recent joint appeal by the U.N. refugee agency and UNICEF for international donors to provide $129 million that would pay for educating 155,000 Iraqi children in Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
In Damascus, the German development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, announced that her government would give $5.4 million to help Syria cope with the Iraqi refugees it hosts. This month, more than 40,000 Iraqi children went to school in Jordan for the first time since they fled their homeland, amid concerns about the system being overburdened. Education Minister Khaled Touqan said more classrooms and possibly new schools would be needed.
In the past, Iraqi children could attend Jordanian public schools only if a family had a residency permit or paid fees - a serious strain on the finances of the largely unemployed Iraqi refugees. Sauerbrey told reporters the United States expected to allow in some 2,000 Iraqi refugees by the end of September, but ruled out taking in large numbers.
While Washington has a "moral obligation" to aid refugees "in danger because of their affiliation with U.S. forces," she said it also had an obligation 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 been criticized by some people for accepting so few Iraqi refugees. Only 57 settled in the U.S. last month, bringing the total over the last year to 190. This month it expects to take in 400 Iraqis.
Jordan and Syria host the largest percentage of the more than 2 million Iraqis who have been displaced by the war and they have complained of the increasing burden on their health and education systems. Smaller numbers of Iraqis have fled to Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey. The grant will go toward a recent joint appeal by the U.N. refugee agency and UNICEF for international donors to provide $129 million that would pay for educating 155,000 Iraqi children in Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
In Damascus, the German development minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, announced that her government would give $5.4 million to help Syria cope with the Iraqi refugees it hosts. This month, more than 40,000 Iraqi children went to school in Jordan for the first time since they fled their homeland, amid concerns about the system being overburdened. Education Minister Khaled Touqan said more classrooms and possibly new schools would be needed.
In the past, Iraqi children could attend Jordanian public schools only if a family had a residency permit or paid fees - a serious strain on the finances of the largely unemployed Iraqi refugees. Sauerbrey told reporters the United States expected to allow in some 2,000 Iraqi refugees by the end of September, but ruled out taking in large numbers.
While Washington has a "moral obligation" to aid refugees "in danger because of their affiliation with U.S. forces," she said it also had an obligation 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 been criticized by some people for accepting so few Iraqi refugees. Only 57 settled in the U.S. last month, bringing the total over the last year to 190. This month it expects to take in 400 Iraqis.
Labels: education grants, Ellen Sauerbrey, Jordan, refugees, Syria, U.N., U.S.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Syria, Iraq agree to rehabilitate oil pipelines
Region
(SANA) - Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Sufian al-Alaw on Tuesday said Syria and Iraq agreed to take necessary procedures to rehabilitate a crude petroleum transport pipelines between Iraqi city of Kirkuk and Syrian coastal city of Banyas. "The two states agreed to develop the exchange of oil products to a maximum degree in the interest of both countries," Alaw said during a visit to a Gas station south Damascus along with Iraqi counterpart Hussein Shahrstani.
The Iraqi Minister expressed his country's readiness to cooperate with Syria and develop available capabilities in the interest to both peoples, pointing out to new opportunities and horizons of cooperation in the oil and gas fields. The two ministers listened to an explanation to the Arab Gas Pipelines project which stretches from north Egypt to the Syrian-Turkish borders through Jordan with 1231 KM length.
The Iraqi Minister expressed his country's readiness to cooperate with Syria and develop available capabilities in the interest to both peoples, pointing out to new opportunities and horizons of cooperation in the oil and gas fields. The two ministers listened to an explanation to the Arab Gas Pipelines project which stretches from north Egypt to the Syrian-Turkish borders through Jordan with 1231 KM length.
Labels: Arab Gas Pipelines project, Banyas, Iraq, Kirkuk, oil pipelines, Sufian al-Alaw, Syria
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Maliki in Syria for security discussions
Region
(Gulf News) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki started on Monday an important visit to Damascus which aims to discuss several important issues between the two countries, Iraqi officials said. The move came days after the formation of a new political coalition in Iraq which included senior Shiite and Kurdish parties. This alliance declared support for Al Maliki as a strong government leader.
Mahmoud Othman, a leading figure in the Kurdish Alliance, who strongly stands by Al Maliki, told Gulf News: "Syria is a significant country that can play a role to sustain Iraq's security and stability. This can be achieved in two ways : The first is by controlling joint borders and halting infiltration networks and operations that are used by terrorist elements to sneak into Iraq. Secondly, many opposition figures of the new political process in Iraq are based in Damascus. Consequently Syrians support the Iraqi national reconciliation process."
The Iraqi-Syrian relations are facing sensitive issues like Iraqi security, frozen funds and immigrants. Dhahir Abdullah, professor of international relations at Al Nahrain University in Baghdad, told Gulf News: "The Syrian move of hosting the security committee meeting has relieved Iraqi officials and information indicated that the Syrian army has taken concrete measures to control borders with Iraq."
He said, "Some files like the frozen money and funds belong to former regime officials in Syrian banks, besides the presence of some Baathist leaders accused of financing terrorism in Syrian capital, remain provocative factors that could damage the Syrian-Iraqi relationship. I think Al Maliki will vigorously discuss these files with Syrian officials."
It is noteworthy that US's strongly-worded statements against Syria's involvement in supporting terrorism in Iraq have decreased significantly compared with last year. Recently the military officials shifted their security accusations against Iran. Babakir Zebari, the Iraqi Army Chief of Staff, told Gulf News: "There is a retreat of terrorists infiltration across Syrian borders by more than 60 per cent and this is an encouraging issue".
In addition, officials close to the Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain Al Shahrastani revealed that one of the important economic issues to be discussed during Al Maliki's special visit to Syria is rehabilitating and opening the oil pipeline across Iraqi-Syrian territories to transport oil to the Syrian port on the Mediterranean. It is apparent that the Syrians are very interested in this file.
Salim Al Hashimi, an Iraqi economic researcher, told Gulf News: "If the security and reconciliation files are very important for Al Maliki, Syrian government's major preoccupations are trade and oil transportation."
Mahmoud Othman, a leading figure in the Kurdish Alliance, who strongly stands by Al Maliki, told Gulf News: "Syria is a significant country that can play a role to sustain Iraq's security and stability. This can be achieved in two ways : The first is by controlling joint borders and halting infiltration networks and operations that are used by terrorist elements to sneak into Iraq. Secondly, many opposition figures of the new political process in Iraq are based in Damascus. Consequently Syrians support the Iraqi national reconciliation process."
The Iraqi-Syrian relations are facing sensitive issues like Iraqi security, frozen funds and immigrants. Dhahir Abdullah, professor of international relations at Al Nahrain University in Baghdad, told Gulf News: "The Syrian move of hosting the security committee meeting has relieved Iraqi officials and information indicated that the Syrian army has taken concrete measures to control borders with Iraq."
He said, "Some files like the frozen money and funds belong to former regime officials in Syrian banks, besides the presence of some Baathist leaders accused of financing terrorism in Syrian capital, remain provocative factors that could damage the Syrian-Iraqi relationship. I think Al Maliki will vigorously discuss these files with Syrian officials."
It is noteworthy that US's strongly-worded statements against Syria's involvement in supporting terrorism in Iraq have decreased significantly compared with last year. Recently the military officials shifted their security accusations against Iran. Babakir Zebari, the Iraqi Army Chief of Staff, told Gulf News: "There is a retreat of terrorists infiltration across Syrian borders by more than 60 per cent and this is an encouraging issue".
In addition, officials close to the Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain Al Shahrastani revealed that one of the important economic issues to be discussed during Al Maliki's special visit to Syria is rehabilitating and opening the oil pipeline across Iraqi-Syrian territories to transport oil to the Syrian port on the Mediterranean. It is apparent that the Syrians are very interested in this file.
Salim Al Hashimi, an Iraqi economic researcher, told Gulf News: "If the security and reconciliation files are very important for Al Maliki, Syrian government's major preoccupations are trade and oil transportation."
Labels: Nouri Al-Maliki, Syria
Monday, August 20, 2007
Kurdish-Shia political alliance meet with Sunni leader
Politics
(CNN) -- The leaders of a new Shiite and Kurdish political alliance met with a top Sunni Arab leader Saturday, raising hope for a breakthrough to curb factional violence in Iraq. Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni and one of Iraq's two vice presidents, met with the other leaders ahead of a political summit that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has been planning.
The meeting started in the late afternoon and lasted for a few hours, and it may resume on Sunday, al-Maliki's office said. Al-Hashimi's office said they agreed on the summit's agenda and who will attend, as well as some similar issues. Al-Maliki's fractious government has been beset by walkouts and the parliament has been unable to agree on major legislation.
Lawmakers were alarmed when six members of the Iraq Accord Front, the Sunni bloc, walked out several weeks ago. Backroom negotiations have been going on ever since. The Bush administration is concerned about the central government's political problems. "Unfortunately, political progress at the national level has not matched the pace of progress at the local level," President Bush said in his weekly radio address.
Al-Maliki signed a political agreement Thursday with three other leaders -- President Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Kurdish regional government leader Massoud Barzani of the Kurdish Democratic Party, and Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq. The purpose was to create an alliance of moderates, particularly ahead of next month's report to the U.S. Congress on the state of affairs in Iraq. Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker will deliver the report.
Al-Hashimi did not show up at Thursday's meeting. His party, the Iraqi Islamic Party, is the largest in the government coalition and his presence in the new alliance is regarded as a major step in forging a national consensus. But on Saturday, Al-Hashimi and the four leaders who signed the agreement on Thursday discussed the political crisis and ways to resolve their differences.
Al-Maliki will travel to Syria on Monday for a three-day official visit to the Arab neighbor, his first. His delegation will include the ministers of trade and oil. Earlier this month, he visited Iran. Both Iran and Syria have been criticized by the Bush administration. The U.S. administration says that Iranian Revolutionary Guard agents are supporting Iraqi insurgents -- a claim Iran denies -- and accuses Syria of not doing enough to stop militants from crossing the Syrian border into Iraq to stage attacks. Nevertheless, Iraq has signed agreements with Iran on building oil pipelines and maintaining border security and has sought to establish ties with Syria.
The meeting started in the late afternoon and lasted for a few hours, and it may resume on Sunday, al-Maliki's office said. Al-Hashimi's office said they agreed on the summit's agenda and who will attend, as well as some similar issues. Al-Maliki's fractious government has been beset by walkouts and the parliament has been unable to agree on major legislation.
Lawmakers were alarmed when six members of the Iraq Accord Front, the Sunni bloc, walked out several weeks ago. Backroom negotiations have been going on ever since. The Bush administration is concerned about the central government's political problems. "Unfortunately, political progress at the national level has not matched the pace of progress at the local level," President Bush said in his weekly radio address.
Al-Maliki signed a political agreement Thursday with three other leaders -- President Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Kurdish regional government leader Massoud Barzani of the Kurdish Democratic Party, and Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq. The purpose was to create an alliance of moderates, particularly ahead of next month's report to the U.S. Congress on the state of affairs in Iraq. Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker will deliver the report.
Al-Hashimi did not show up at Thursday's meeting. His party, the Iraqi Islamic Party, is the largest in the government coalition and his presence in the new alliance is regarded as a major step in forging a national consensus. But on Saturday, Al-Hashimi and the four leaders who signed the agreement on Thursday discussed the political crisis and ways to resolve their differences.
Al-Maliki will travel to Syria on Monday for a three-day official visit to the Arab neighbor, his first. His delegation will include the ministers of trade and oil. Earlier this month, he visited Iran. Both Iran and Syria have been criticized by the Bush administration. The U.S. administration says that Iranian Revolutionary Guard agents are supporting Iraqi insurgents -- a claim Iran denies -- and accuses Syria of not doing enough to stop militants from crossing the Syrian border into Iraq to stage attacks. Nevertheless, Iraq has signed agreements with Iran on building oil pipelines and maintaining border security and has sought to establish ties with Syria.
Labels: Iraqi Accordance Front, Iraqi Islamic Party, Nouri Al-Maliki, Syria, Tariq al-Hashimi
Friday, August 10, 2007
Iraq security confernece in Syria underlines need for unity
Regional
(SANA) - An international meeting on Iraq Thursday underlined respect to the country's unity and sovereignty, non-interference in its internal affairs and the need to achieve national reconciliation among different Iraqi parties. Security Coordination and Cooperation Committee for Iraq neighboring countries condemned in a final statement following two-day meetings all acts of terrorism and violence which target Iraqi innocent civilians, infrastructure, institutions and worship places.
"Border control is a joint responsibility between Iraq and its neighbors," the statement said, announcing readiness to cooperate with the Iraqi government in its efforts to realize security and stability in Iraq, re-establish Iraqi security and army forces on national and professional bases." The participants agreed to submit a group of recommendations to the foreign Ministers' meeting of Iraq neighboring countries due later in Istanbul and to the interior Ministers' meeting expected in Kuwait.
The two-day meetings discussed issues related to security cooperation, combating terrorism and organized crime, and ways of monitoring borders. Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Arab League and UN delegations in addition to representatives from UN permanent member states took part in the meeting.
Head of the Iraqi delegation to the meeting, Labid Abawi described recommendations as important and "they meet Iraq's aspirations," adding "discussions on Iraq were held within an atmosphere of frankness, transparency and seriousness. He denied some media reports claiming that the Iraqi delegation handed a paper on smuggling weapons and infiltrating fighters from Syria into Iraq, saying "those reports are incorrect allegations."
"Border control is a joint responsibility between Iraq and its neighbors," the statement said, announcing readiness to cooperate with the Iraqi government in its efforts to realize security and stability in Iraq, re-establish Iraqi security and army forces on national and professional bases." The participants agreed to submit a group of recommendations to the foreign Ministers' meeting of Iraq neighboring countries due later in Istanbul and to the interior Ministers' meeting expected in Kuwait.
The two-day meetings discussed issues related to security cooperation, combating terrorism and organized crime, and ways of monitoring borders. Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Arab League and UN delegations in addition to representatives from UN permanent member states took part in the meeting.
Head of the Iraqi delegation to the meeting, Labid Abawi described recommendations as important and "they meet Iraq's aspirations," adding "discussions on Iraq were held within an atmosphere of frankness, transparency and seriousness. He denied some media reports claiming that the Iraqi delegation handed a paper on smuggling weapons and infiltrating fighters from Syria into Iraq, saying "those reports are incorrect allegations."
Labels: Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abawi, Iraq security conference, Syria
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Saudi absent from international security meeting on Iraq in Syria
Regional
(RFE/RL) - Iraqi envoys urged their country's neighbors today for genuine support as a regional meeting on deteriorating security in Iraq got under way in Damascus. The two-day meeting reportedly focuses on ways to better control the Syria-Iraq border. The gathering includes representatives from Iraq, the United States, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, and Britain. But the absence from the gathering of Saudi Arabia, which has poor relations with Syria, casts doubt over how effective the meeting will be.
U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the U.S. representatives would mainly be "observers." But he noted that the United States has concerns about Syria's role in the Iraqi crisis, which may be addressed at the meeting. "The first and foremost issue that we raise with [Syria] is the fact that they do continue to allow their territory to be used by foreign fighters and by networks trying to transport them into Baghdad," Casey said. He said Washington is pressing the Syrian government to follow through on its promises to help improve security in Iraq and create "good neighborly relations between themselves and the Iraqi government." The United States also accuses Iran of interfering in Iraq by supporting Shi'ite militia fighters.
U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the U.S. representatives would mainly be "observers." But he noted that the United States has concerns about Syria's role in the Iraqi crisis, which may be addressed at the meeting. "The first and foremost issue that we raise with [Syria] is the fact that they do continue to allow their territory to be used by foreign fighters and by networks trying to transport them into Baghdad," Casey said. He said Washington is pressing the Syrian government to follow through on its promises to help improve security in Iraq and create "good neighborly relations between themselves and the Iraqi government." The United States also accuses Iran of interfering in Iraq by supporting Shi'ite militia fighters.
Labels: Iraq security conference, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tom Casey
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
International meeting on Iraq's security in Syria
Regional
(Reuters) -- Syria will host an international security meeting on Iraq on Wednesday although the United States doubts Damascus is willing to play a role in stopping violence in its eastern neighbour. The two-day meeting will be held in a government complex on the outskirts of Damascus. Officials from Iraq, the United States, Britain, Iran, Turkey and Jordan will attend, a Syrian official said.
'Washington is making a gesture towards Syria by attending the meeting in Damascus,' a Syrian official told Reuters. U.S. officials held security talks in Baghdad this week with Syria's ally Iran. After a visit to Damascus last month by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria said explicitly for the first time it supports the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
One delegate said the meeting would focus on ways to control the 360-km (225 mile) border between Syria and Iraq and dismantling alleged Iraqi Baathist networks in Syria. 'With all the talk of Syria as a transit route for rebels, it makes sense to hold the meeting here. This is a chance for Damascus to show it can cooperate and talk with U.S. officials. The two sides rarely meet,' the delegate said.
'A mechanism should also emerge for the Iraqis and Syrians to cooperate regularly on controlling the border,' he said. Washington says Syria is allowing fighters and weapons into Iraq. Damascus denies this and says ending instability in Iraq and achieving an 'honourable withdrawal' for U.S. forces is in its national interest.
A diplomat in the Syrian capital said Damascus had kept its policy on Iraq vague in the absence of a U.S. promise to give Syria something in return for its cooperation, such as an easing of American sanctions that were imposed on Syria in 2004, or pressure on Israel to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights. 'So far Syria has been playing both hands. It puts out the right statements but does not move substantially on the ground,' the diplomat said.
Syria fiercely opposed the American-led invasion of 2003 that removed Saddam Hussein from power and brought sectarian tensions to the surface. It has since hosted an estimated 1.4 million Iraqi refugees who have fled Iraq. It also hosts a large number of former operatives from Saddam's security forces whom the U.S.-backed Iraqi government accuses of having links with the rebels.
The Damascus meeting is a follow-up to a conference in Egypt in May in which senior U.S. and Syrian officials met each other for the first time in two years. Another follow-up meeting in Amman dealt with the refugee problem.
Although the Damascus meeting will focus on Iraq's security concerns, Turkey is expected to raise the issue of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel separatists who use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Turkey on Tuesday for talks on dealing with the PKK.
'Washington is making a gesture towards Syria by attending the meeting in Damascus,' a Syrian official told Reuters. U.S. officials held security talks in Baghdad this week with Syria's ally Iran. After a visit to Damascus last month by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria said explicitly for the first time it supports the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
One delegate said the meeting would focus on ways to control the 360-km (225 mile) border between Syria and Iraq and dismantling alleged Iraqi Baathist networks in Syria. 'With all the talk of Syria as a transit route for rebels, it makes sense to hold the meeting here. This is a chance for Damascus to show it can cooperate and talk with U.S. officials. The two sides rarely meet,' the delegate said.
'A mechanism should also emerge for the Iraqis and Syrians to cooperate regularly on controlling the border,' he said. Washington says Syria is allowing fighters and weapons into Iraq. Damascus denies this and says ending instability in Iraq and achieving an 'honourable withdrawal' for U.S. forces is in its national interest.
A diplomat in the Syrian capital said Damascus had kept its policy on Iraq vague in the absence of a U.S. promise to give Syria something in return for its cooperation, such as an easing of American sanctions that were imposed on Syria in 2004, or pressure on Israel to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights. 'So far Syria has been playing both hands. It puts out the right statements but does not move substantially on the ground,' the diplomat said.
Syria fiercely opposed the American-led invasion of 2003 that removed Saddam Hussein from power and brought sectarian tensions to the surface. It has since hosted an estimated 1.4 million Iraqi refugees who have fled Iraq. It also hosts a large number of former operatives from Saddam's security forces whom the U.S.-backed Iraqi government accuses of having links with the rebels.
The Damascus meeting is a follow-up to a conference in Egypt in May in which senior U.S. and Syrian officials met each other for the first time in two years. Another follow-up meeting in Amman dealt with the refugee problem.
Although the Damascus meeting will focus on Iraq's security concerns, Turkey is expected to raise the issue of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel separatists who use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Turkey on Tuesday for talks on dealing with the PKK.
Labels: Baathists, border security, Britian, Golan Heights, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, PKK, security meeting, Syria, Turkey, U.S.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Iraqi refugee crisis - how to help
Humanitarian
Iraqi refugee crisis - how to help:
Iraqi refugee crisis - how to help:
According to The UN High Commissioner on Refugees, in terms of raw numbers, the nearly two-and-a-half million Iraqi refugees displaced because of the war is a bigger crisis than Darfur. It’s also the largest mass migration in the Middles east since the exodus of Palestinians from Israel in 1948. The vast majority of Iraqi refugees have fled to Syria and Jordan, further straining already overstretched infrastructures in two of the region's poorer countries.
The result is inflated housing costs, scarce water resources and crowded public health facilities and schools. Well over a million Iraqis are internally displaced. According to The UN High Commission for Refugees estimates that as many as a third of externally displaced refugees now outside Iraq is Christian. [And it really matters not what religion they may follow. They are in need of help. Call or write your congress person today and tell them to support the Responsibility to Iraqi Refugees Act. Or make a contribution to the International Rescue Committee or Direct Relief International or American Friends Service Committee or International Committee of the Red Cross/Crescent
Very few organizations are working on getting aid to Iraqi refugees, and of those that are, many are too small or too beleaguered to accept individual donations; the Iraqi Red Crescent, for example, has suffered bombings and mass kidnappings, yet its volunteers continue to deliver aid to displaced families inside Iraq. One of the larger relief organizations working with the refugees is the Catholic group Caritas. Caritas helps a few thousand families a year, but "the demand far outstrips the money available to us," says Magy Mahrous, who oversees the project.
You can make a contribution at: International Catholic Migration Commission, Citibank USA, 153 East 53rd Street, 16th floor, New York, NY 10043. To ensure that the money reaches the Iraqi program, write "Iraq-icmc" on your check.
You can make a contribution at: International Catholic Migration Commission, Citibank USA, 153 East 53rd Street, 16th floor, New York, NY 10043. To ensure that the money reaches the Iraqi program, write "Iraq-icmc" on your check.
Labels: Caritas Iraq, Direct Relief International, IDPs, International Committee of the Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, Iraqi Red Crescent Society, Iraqi refugees, Jordan, Syria, UNHCR
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Syria cancels Iraqi anti-U.S. groups' meeting
Politics, Security
(Reuters) - A large meeting of Iraqi rebel groups that was due to be held in Damascus on Monday was cancelled at the behest of Syria, delegates said. Hundreds of delegates, including members of the banned Iraqi Baath Party, officers in Saddam Hussein's now defunct security forces and anti-U.S. tribal leaders, had gathered in Damascus to work out a joint programme for groups opposed to the continued presence of U.S. forces in Iraq.
"The Syrians gently made it clear that this is not the time for this," a senior Baath Party member told Reuters.
"The Americans and their Iraqi government clients are intensifying their lies that Syria is behind terrorism and attacks on innocent Iraqis, which we all condemn." He was speaking at a meeting to announce the cancellation of the conference at a hotel in the outskirts of Damascus. The decision did not go down well with most participants, especially those who had travelled from Iraq.
Some delegates linked the meeting's cancellation to the visit last week to Syria by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A communique issued after a meeting between Ahmadinejad and President Bashar al-Assad last week said the two leaders were adamant about the need to end U.S. occupation but back the Iraqi government and "condemn terrorism against the Iraqi people and their institutions".
Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi is expected to visit Damascus next month. With a 360-km (225-mile) border with Iraq and some 1.4 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, Damascus has said that a descent into an all out civil war there would have "devastating consequences" for the region.
Thousands of Iraqi Baathists and former security figures have made Syria their base since the 2003 U.S. invasion. The Iraqi government says they play a major role in supporting the insurgency. Washington accuses Syria of letting fighters cross its borders into Iraq, a charge Syria denies.
Damascus says its influence with rebel forces in Iraq could help the United States achieve an "honourable withdrawal" for American troops. "We should not see a contradiction between raising the gun and negotiating an end to the occupation," a tribal leader from Iraq's western Anbar province addressed the delegates. He acknowledged, however, that the rebel groups lack a unified political front.
"The Syrians gently made it clear that this is not the time for this," a senior Baath Party member told Reuters.
"The Americans and their Iraqi government clients are intensifying their lies that Syria is behind terrorism and attacks on innocent Iraqis, which we all condemn." He was speaking at a meeting to announce the cancellation of the conference at a hotel in the outskirts of Damascus. The decision did not go down well with most participants, especially those who had travelled from Iraq.
Some delegates linked the meeting's cancellation to the visit last week to Syria by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A communique issued after a meeting between Ahmadinejad and President Bashar al-Assad last week said the two leaders were adamant about the need to end U.S. occupation but back the Iraqi government and "condemn terrorism against the Iraqi people and their institutions".
Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi is expected to visit Damascus next month. With a 360-km (225-mile) border with Iraq and some 1.4 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, Damascus has said that a descent into an all out civil war there would have "devastating consequences" for the region.
Thousands of Iraqi Baathists and former security figures have made Syria their base since the 2003 U.S. invasion. The Iraqi government says they play a major role in supporting the insurgency. Washington accuses Syria of letting fighters cross its borders into Iraq, a charge Syria denies.
Damascus says its influence with rebel forces in Iraq could help the United States achieve an "honourable withdrawal" for American troops. "We should not see a contradiction between raising the gun and negotiating an end to the occupation," a tribal leader from Iraq's western Anbar province addressed the delegates. He acknowledged, however, that the rebel groups lack a unified political front.
Labels: Baath Party, former security forces, Syria, tribal leaders
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Jordan to host conference on Iraqi refugees
Humanitarian
(AFP) - Jordan has invited officials from Iraq, Syria, and Egypt to a conference next week on ways to help these states cope with hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees, the foreign ministry said Thursday. United Nations officials will attend, with Turkey, Iran, Russia and Japan also taking part in the July 26 meeting as "observers," the ministry said in a statement carried by state-run Petra news agency.
"The conference will discuss ways of helping these states cope with burdens caused by Iraqi refugees," it said.On July 12 the UN refugee agency UNHCR said it had more than doubled its annual appeal for funding to help millions of uprooted Iraqis to 123 million dollars, to boost medical care, shelter and other support.
It urged the international community to "put its money where its mouth is" after Syria and Jordan were left with little in the way of direct bilateral aid to cope with some two million Iraqi refugees fleeing widespread violence. The UNHCR has warned that Syria and Jordan's healthcare, education systems and housing are under severe strain due to the continued influx of Iraqis.
Jordan said in May that hosting Iraqi refugees is costing the desert kingdom around one billion dollars a year, and it has commissioned a survey to determine the exact number of Iraqis on its territory. Syria hosts some 1.4 million Iraqis and Jordan about 750,000, including people who had fled before the 2003 US-led invasion, according to the UNHCR.
UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner L. Craig Johnstone commended both Jordan and Syria for taking in so many refugees, during a visit to both countries to meet officials and check on humanitarian services provided to Iraqis, the UN agency said in a statement.
"Registration is the only way that we can effectively identify those refugees that need our help," Johnstone said, adding that the UNHCR has already registered more than 150,000 Iraqis in the region. Johnstone said Jordan and Syria are "both to be commended for their extraordinary generosity toward those fleeing Iraq" and stressed that "the needs are enormous and these governments should not have to cope alone."
"The conference will discuss ways of helping these states cope with burdens caused by Iraqi refugees," it said.On July 12 the UN refugee agency UNHCR said it had more than doubled its annual appeal for funding to help millions of uprooted Iraqis to 123 million dollars, to boost medical care, shelter and other support.
It urged the international community to "put its money where its mouth is" after Syria and Jordan were left with little in the way of direct bilateral aid to cope with some two million Iraqi refugees fleeing widespread violence. The UNHCR has warned that Syria and Jordan's healthcare, education systems and housing are under severe strain due to the continued influx of Iraqis.
Jordan said in May that hosting Iraqi refugees is costing the desert kingdom around one billion dollars a year, and it has commissioned a survey to determine the exact number of Iraqis on its territory. Syria hosts some 1.4 million Iraqis and Jordan about 750,000, including people who had fled before the 2003 US-led invasion, according to the UNHCR.
UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner L. Craig Johnstone commended both Jordan and Syria for taking in so many refugees, during a visit to both countries to meet officials and check on humanitarian services provided to Iraqis, the UN agency said in a statement.
"Registration is the only way that we can effectively identify those refugees that need our help," Johnstone said, adding that the UNHCR has already registered more than 150,000 Iraqis in the region. Johnstone said Jordan and Syria are "both to be commended for their extraordinary generosity toward those fleeing Iraq" and stressed that "the needs are enormous and these governments should not have to cope alone."
Labels: Craig Johnstone, Egypt, Iraqi refugees, Jordan, Syria, UNHCR
Monday, July 16, 2007
Report - Saudis make up largest number of foreign fighters in Iraq
Insurgency
(Gulf News) - Although Bush administration officials have frequently lashed out at Syria and Iran for helping the insurgents and militias who attack US troops and civilians here, the largest number of foreign fighters and suicide bombers in Iraq come from a third next-door neighbour, Saudi Arabia, according to a senior US military officer and Iraqi lawmakers.
The US military believes 45 per cent of all foreign militants are Saudi, another 15 per cent are from Syria and Lebanon and 10 per cent from North Africa, according to official US military figures released to the Los Angeles Times by the officer. Nearly half of the 135 foreigners currently held in US detention facilities in Iraq are Saudi.
Saudi fighters are thought to have carried out more suicide bombings than any other nationality, said the senior American military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity for the US government. It is apparently the first time a US official has given such a breakdown on the pivotal role played by Saudi nationals in Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgency.
He added that 50 per cent of all Saudi fighters here are suicide bombers. In the last six months, such bombings have killed or injured 4,000 Iraqis. The situation has left the American military in the awkward position of facing an enemy whose top source of fighters is a key regional ally that at best has not been able to prevent its citizens from undertaking bloody attacks in Iraq, and at worst shares complicity in sending jihadists to commit attacks against US forces, civilians and Iraq's Shiite-led government.
The situation also casts a spotlight on the tangled web of alliances and enemies that often swirl just below the surface in the political relationships between Muslim nations and with the US government. The threat of suicide attacks by a Sunni insurgent group that calls itself Al Qaida in Iraq is the greatest short-term threat to Iraq's security, US military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner warned last Wednesday. The Saudi government does not dispute that some of its youth are ending up as suicide bombers in Iraq, but says it has done everything it currently can to stop the bloodshed.
The bombings in Iraq mainly target Iraq's Shiite majority whom Sunni Arab extremists consider unbelievers.
"Saudis are actually being misused. Someone is helping them come to Iraq, someone is helping them inside Iraq, someone is recruiting them to be suicide bombers. We have no idea who these people are. We aren't getting any formal information from the Iraqi government,'' said Gen. Mansour Al Turki, spokesman for the Saudi interior ministry. "If we get good feedback from the Iraqi government about Saudis being arrested in Iraq, probably we can help."
The US military believes 45 per cent of all foreign militants are Saudi, another 15 per cent are from Syria and Lebanon and 10 per cent from North Africa, according to official US military figures released to the Los Angeles Times by the officer. Nearly half of the 135 foreigners currently held in US detention facilities in Iraq are Saudi.
Saudi fighters are thought to have carried out more suicide bombings than any other nationality, said the senior American military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the subject's sensitivity for the US government. It is apparently the first time a US official has given such a breakdown on the pivotal role played by Saudi nationals in Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgency.
He added that 50 per cent of all Saudi fighters here are suicide bombers. In the last six months, such bombings have killed or injured 4,000 Iraqis. The situation has left the American military in the awkward position of facing an enemy whose top source of fighters is a key regional ally that at best has not been able to prevent its citizens from undertaking bloody attacks in Iraq, and at worst shares complicity in sending jihadists to commit attacks against US forces, civilians and Iraq's Shiite-led government.
The situation also casts a spotlight on the tangled web of alliances and enemies that often swirl just below the surface in the political relationships between Muslim nations and with the US government. The threat of suicide attacks by a Sunni insurgent group that calls itself Al Qaida in Iraq is the greatest short-term threat to Iraq's security, US military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner warned last Wednesday. The Saudi government does not dispute that some of its youth are ending up as suicide bombers in Iraq, but says it has done everything it currently can to stop the bloodshed.
The bombings in Iraq mainly target Iraq's Shiite majority whom Sunni Arab extremists consider unbelievers.
"Saudis are actually being misused. Someone is helping them come to Iraq, someone is helping them inside Iraq, someone is recruiting them to be suicide bombers. We have no idea who these people are. We aren't getting any formal information from the Iraqi government,'' said Gen. Mansour Al Turki, spokesman for the Saudi interior ministry. "If we get good feedback from the Iraqi government about Saudis being arrested in Iraq, probably we can help."
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, foreign fighters, Gen. Mansour Al Turki, Lebanon, North Africa, Saudi Arabia, Syria
Friday, July 13, 2007
UNHCR doubles funding appeal for Iraq as 2,000 flee each day
Humanitarian
(Reuters) - The United Nations refugee agency on Thursday doubled its funding appeal for Iraq this year to $123 million, saying humanitarian needs continued to mushroom as an estimated 2,000 people flee violence each day. Most of the revised appeal, up from $60 million in January, will be used to provide shelter, food, health care, education and other emergency services to Iraqis who cross into neighbouring countries.
Syria and Jordan are already struggling to host 2 million Iraqis who fled before and since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, while another 2 million people are uprooted within Iraq, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "Massive displacement of Iraqis externally and internally continues unabated, causing a great deal of suffering and uncertainty," Radhouane Nouicer, director of UNHCR's Middle East and North Africa bureau, told a news briefing.
The agency had received $67 million towards its initial appeal, including $17 million from the United States, and was seeking more from both new and traditional donors. "At least one Iraqi in seven is displaced and UNHCR estimates the number of those newly displaced at 2,000 per day," the UNHCR said in an appeal document sent to donors. "Thousands of Iraqis approaching UNHCR are the victims of torture, sexual and gender-based violence, car bombings, or other violent attacks and are in urgent need of medical care.
"Many Iraqi children had been out of school for two to three years, raising the prospect of "potential emergence of a generation of uneducated Iraqi youth", the UNHCR warned. As part of its protection strategy, the UNHCR has set a target of resettling 20,000 of the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees to third countries this year.
Labels: IDPs, Iraqi refugees, Jordan, Radhouane Nouicer, Syria, UNHCR
Truck Carrying 200 Suicide Belts And Explosives Confiscated At Walid Border Checkpoint Between Iraq And Syria
Security
(Al Mashriq Newspaper) - 12 JUL - A high level security source said that on Wednesday morning Iraqi security forces stopped a truck which was carrying 200 suicide belts and explosives that was coming from Syria. The MOI Naitonal Command Center Director, General Abd Al Karim Khalaf, told the French Press, “The security forces stopped that was carrying 200 suicide belts and explosives while it was trying to enter Iraq using Walid Checkpoint coming from Syria. The truck was being driven by an Iraqi who was arrested by MOI Intelligence at the checkpoint.”
It is worthy to mention that the large province of Anbar has many borders, including with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Anbar also borders the two Iraqi provinces of Karbala and Najaf. On June 11th, Najaf’s security forces announced that a Syrian truck was confiscated that was also carrying high explosives and had also entered Iraq using Walid Checkpoint. This truck was confiscated on Al Ikhidhir Highway near Karbala.
Al Khalaf added, “The Syrian truck entered Iraq using the ruse of carrying car parts. After inspecting the truck, it was discovered that the truck was carrying high explosives and 200 suicide belts. The driver was arrested.” It is well-known that the Iraqi authorities are constantly calling on the neighboring countries to stop the infiltration of weapons and fighters into Iraq.
It is worthy to mention that the large province of Anbar has many borders, including with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Anbar also borders the two Iraqi provinces of Karbala and Najaf. On June 11th, Najaf’s security forces announced that a Syrian truck was confiscated that was also carrying high explosives and had also entered Iraq using Walid Checkpoint. This truck was confiscated on Al Ikhidhir Highway near Karbala.
Al Khalaf added, “The Syrian truck entered Iraq using the ruse of carrying car parts. After inspecting the truck, it was discovered that the truck was carrying high explosives and 200 suicide belts. The driver was arrested.” It is well-known that the Iraqi authorities are constantly calling on the neighboring countries to stop the infiltration of weapons and fighters into Iraq.
Labels: suicide belts, Syria, truck, Walid Checkpoint
Friday, June 29, 2007
Looming crisis in Syria as Iraqi refugee influx continues
Humanitarian
(IRIN) -- With up to 2,000 Iraqi refugees arriving each day, adding to the 1.5 million - equivalent to around 8 percent of the Syrian population - who have flooded into Syria since the start of the US-led war on Iraq in 2003, economists and refugee experts warn of a looming social and economic crisis. Tens of thousands of Iraqi families are now living in and around Damascus pushing up demand for already limited goods and services. Observers warn pressures will soon become unbearable as Iraqis use up their savings and become more reliant on the Syrian welfare system.
"When the Iraqis first came, Syrians were happy to help them but now that is no longer the case," said Ammar Qurabi of the National Organization for Human Rights (NOHR) which has monitored the effects of Iraqi refugees on Syria. "Now most people hate the refugees and are angry because food and houses are expensive and there is no work because Iraqis take the easy jobs."
According to government figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics, inflation will reach 8 percent in 2007, slightly down from 9.2 percent in 2006. However, with reliability of official figures on the economy a significant issue in Syria, some Damascus-based economists estimate the real figure for this year's inflation could be as high as 30 percent.
The highest inflation has been felt in the real estate market, with the tens of thousands of extra Iraqi families buying and renting properties across Damascus and raising prices by up to 300 percent. A study by NOHR estimated that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of Damascus had risen from 8,000 Syrian pounds (US$160) in 2005 to 20,000 Syrian pounds (US$400) today. In a country where an average state wage in the bloated public sector economy remains little more than $120, many Syrians are forced to do two jobs, and still struggle to pay rent.
The booming real estate market had raised cement prices to $200 a tonne by March, a 300 percent increase on three years ago, stunting the country's building boom. Figures from the Syrian Consulting Bureau for Development and Investment (SCB), compiled from the state-run press, found that since the Iraqi influx began in early 2005 the demand for bread in Damascus - home to the majority of the refugees - has increased by 35 percent, electricity by 27 percent, water by 20 percent and kerosene by 17 percent. There are an estimated 75,000 Iraqi children registered in Syrian schools, with many class sizes doubled to 60 students and schools working double shifts to cope.
The effect of the refugees has not only been negative. The increase in demand for consumer goods and real estate spurred by the influx of Iraqis has boosted domestic consumption, contributing towards the increase in the government's expected GDP growth to seven percent from 5.6 percent in 2006. According to Sukkar, the Iraqis have "brought in money, invested in real estate, and opened shops, something that - on the positive side - has increased spending in the economy".
"When the Iraqis first came, Syrians were happy to help them but now that is no longer the case," said Ammar Qurabi of the National Organization for Human Rights (NOHR) which has monitored the effects of Iraqi refugees on Syria. "Now most people hate the refugees and are angry because food and houses are expensive and there is no work because Iraqis take the easy jobs."
According to government figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics, inflation will reach 8 percent in 2007, slightly down from 9.2 percent in 2006. However, with reliability of official figures on the economy a significant issue in Syria, some Damascus-based economists estimate the real figure for this year's inflation could be as high as 30 percent.
The highest inflation has been felt in the real estate market, with the tens of thousands of extra Iraqi families buying and renting properties across Damascus and raising prices by up to 300 percent. A study by NOHR estimated that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of Damascus had risen from 8,000 Syrian pounds (US$160) in 2005 to 20,000 Syrian pounds (US$400) today. In a country where an average state wage in the bloated public sector economy remains little more than $120, many Syrians are forced to do two jobs, and still struggle to pay rent.
The booming real estate market had raised cement prices to $200 a tonne by March, a 300 percent increase on three years ago, stunting the country's building boom. Figures from the Syrian Consulting Bureau for Development and Investment (SCB), compiled from the state-run press, found that since the Iraqi influx began in early 2005 the demand for bread in Damascus - home to the majority of the refugees - has increased by 35 percent, electricity by 27 percent, water by 20 percent and kerosene by 17 percent. There are an estimated 75,000 Iraqi children registered in Syrian schools, with many class sizes doubled to 60 students and schools working double shifts to cope.
The effect of the refugees has not only been negative. The increase in demand for consumer goods and real estate spurred by the influx of Iraqis has boosted domestic consumption, contributing towards the increase in the government's expected GDP growth to seven percent from 5.6 percent in 2006. According to Sukkar, the Iraqis have "brought in money, invested in real estate, and opened shops, something that - on the positive side - has increased spending in the economy".
Labels: Iraqi refugees, National Organization for Human Rights, Syria
