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America to accept 7,000 Iraqi refugees

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 15, 2007

WASHINGTON - The United States agreed Wednesday to greatly expand the number of Iraqi refugees allowed into America and to pay more to help Iraq's Arab neighbors cope with the human tide fleeing increasing violence and economic hardship in their country.

The decision to allow about 7,000 Iraqis to come to the United States answers mounting political and diplomatic pressure on the Bush administration to do more to remedy the consequences of a war it largely started. Only 202 Iraqis were allowed in last year.

The administration also said it will contribute $18-million for a worldwide resettlement and relief program. The United Nations has asked for $60-million from nations around the world.

The United Nations estimates that 3.8-million Iraqis have fled their homes since the war began nearly four years ago. The U.S. government has allowed about 600 to settle in the United States.

The U.S. proposal also includes plans to offer special treatment for Iraqis still in their country whose cooperation with the United States puts them at risk. Expanding visa programs for those Iraqis would require legislation in Congress, State Department Undersecretary Paula Dobriansky said Wednesday.

About 2-million Iraqis have left their country, and an additional 1.8-million are believed to have relocated inside Iraq. The refugee flow has increased sharply as sectarian violence has increased over the past year. The numbers have overwhelmed the hospitality of Arab neighbors such as Syria and Jordan.

U.S. diplomats have discussed the refugee problem directly with the Jordanian and Syrian governments in recent days, Dobriansky said. That is notable because of the administration's reluctance to engage Syria in high-level discussions about security in Iraq.

[Last modified February 15, 2007, 01:24:53]