Iraq Papers Hail Return Of Refugees
On the scene in Baghdad
And keep in mind, Iraq enjoys a free press…
Baghdad, Nov 29, (VOI) – Iraqi newspapers gave prominence in their Thursday issues to the return of Iraqi displaced persons to their homeland and governmental efforts in this regard.
The government-funded al-Sabah newspaper published an article entitled, ‘Displaced and damages,’ by its editor-in-chief Fallah al-Mashaal in which he hailed an Iraqi parliament’s decision awarding displaced Iraqis damages for their losses from sectarian violence and displacement.
“The significant improvement in the security situation have prompted many Iraqis to return home and urged the parliament to unanimously approve 2 million Iraqi dinars (1634.12 U.S. dollars) in damages for the externally displaced, and 1 million dinars (817.06 U.S. dollars) for the internally displaced,” al-Mashaal said.
In another article on Iraqi returnees, the independent daily al-Mada newspaper said that hundreds of Iraqis have started streaming back to their home country. “A fleet of buses carrying 800 Iraqis have began their trip back home from Syria as violence levels drop in their homeland and attitudes harden in the host country,” the newspaper wrote.
“The government hopes that the successful return of this fleet will encourage other Iraqis to head back,” the newspaper added.
Quoting the Iraqi ambassador in Syria, Hassan Abdul Aziz, the newspaper said, “People feel they can come back because the security situation has improved. They say there are no more bombs or killings. That is why they are returning.”
According to figures released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria.
The daily al-Bayyina newspaper, the mouthpiece of Iraq’s Hezbollah movement, said that the surge of Iraqi returnees has put pressure on border guard forces. “Iraqi army commanders fear the surge of Iraqis from Syria and Jordan, which they said is throwing up new security challenges.
Border guard officials say that they are having difficulties in dealing with large numbers while trying to intercept arms smugglers and insurgents trying to enter Iraq using forged passports.
In statements to the press, the Spokesman for the Baghdad security plan, Brigadier Qasim Ata, said that 46,000 Iraqis returned home in October 2007.
Iraq’s Immigration and Refugees Minister Abdel Samad Rahman Sultan said that 1,600 Iraqis head back into Iraq everyday.
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Wonder how many people will read this article in the MSM? OOOPS, they probably won’t post it. Oh well, some day it will be obvious that we have been victorious AND we can bring our boys home real soon hopefully! Semper Fi!
November 29th, 2007 at 5:00 amThis is SINGLE biggest factor in presenting the case that
November 29th, 2007 at 1:23 pmIraq is improving