February 10, 2007

Iraqi refugees in Syria are in real dilemma. While the Syrian authorities are apparently unhappy to have them, new Iraqi government directives are adding to their tragedy.

Official Syrian statistics show that there are at least 1.3 million Iraqis in Syria. Most of them live in low-income neighborhoods of Damascus and other major Syrian cities.

Most of them are poor and have already devoured the little savings they had with them. To return is impossible for many of them as they have nothing left behind.

Many have sold everything and fled. Others were forced to leave after losing almost everything. Many have just fled for their lives.

Their crisis started following a visit by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to Syria last month. Until then Iraqis were apparently allowed to overstay their temporary permits of residence without any penalties.

Since the visit the rules have changed. Every Iraqi residing in Syria is now required to deposit $2000 with the authorities to stay, a sum the majority of the refugees cannot afford.

And the Iraqi embassy in Syria is making the refugees life even harder by refusing to issue or extend validity of passports. Iraqis are told to return to Baghdad to have their passports extended.

U.N. refugee agency has rung the alarm bells, saying that about four million Iraqis are on the move with the majority of those leaving the country now residing in Syrian and Jordan.

And further population movements are bound to occur as the U.S. and Iraqi troops are gearing towards attacking Baghdad neighborhoods as part of a new military campaign ostensibly aimed at pacifying Baghdad.

All this happens in a country which the U.S. claims to have turned into a 'young democracy’ which it wants to turn into an example for other countries to follow.

But real 'democracy’ will not be established until the country’s 26 million people are made refugees or are uprooted, maimed or killed in the bloody civil war U.S. policies have caused.

Then, and only then, the architects of Iraq occupation or perhaps 'Iraq liberation’ will sit and rejoice.