Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 5, 2008 6:52:39 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

Back to the grid

Crocker: Speed Up Iraqi Refugee Policy

Posted Sep 17, 07 10:41 AM CDT in US,  Politics,  World    Editor's Choice

(Newser) – Ambassador Ryan Crocker says the US needs to get moving on admitting Iraqi refugees. In a State Department memo titled "Iraqi Refugee Processing: Can We Speed It Up?", Crocker writes that thousands of desperate Iraqis are facing bottlenecks to their resettlement, and that at the present rate it would take two years to admit the 10,000 refugees referred to the US by the United Nations.

The issue didn't get much attention during Crocker and Petraeus' recent testimony before Congress, but the ambassador appears increasingly concerned. The subject has divided the parties, and will likely be a major topic of discussion when Condi Rice meets with congressional leaders this week. "The least we can do is our part to allow those at risk to resettle here," says Senator Ted Kennedy.

Source Washington Post

Editor Recommended

Related Links

Related News

  • Iran Is Now a Bigger Threat in Iraq Than al-Qaeda: US Officials

    Apr 12, 08 3:06 PM CDT
    Iran Is Now a Bigger Threat in Iraq Than al-Qaeda: US Officials Recent battles in Basra prove that Iran is crippling Iraqi stability while al-Qaeda's influence there wanes, US officials say. David Petraeus pointed to Iran's influence in testimony this week, and now Shiite militias are said to have benefited from Iranian weapons, training, and guidance in Basra fighting—prompting a Washington probe of Iran's impact, the Washington Post reports. More »

  • Bush Backs Petraeus' Pause

    Apr 10, 08 12:22 PM CDT
    Bush Backs Petraeus' Pause Vowing that Gen. David Petraeus will have “all the time he needs” in Iraq, President Bush today announced a pause, from August until at least mid-September, in withdrawal of troops from Iraq, CNN reports. Citing the post-surge security gains, Bush said, “we have renewed and revived the prospect of success” in a war he characterized as “difficult, not endless.” More »

  • Petraeus Grilling Moves to House

    Apr 9, 08 2:12 PM CDT
    Petraeus Grilling Moves to House Gen. David Petraeus' visit to Capitol Hill continues today, with House members getting their chance to grill the top US commander in Iraq and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Democrats on the Armed Service Committee were vocal in their frustration about the war’s progress, even as Petraeus and Crocker were unyielding about a potential withdrawal timetable, the New York Times reports. More »

  • Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit

    Apr 9, 08 7:09 AM CDT
    Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker head back to Capitol Hill this morning after a grueling day of testimony that was short on substance and clear goals, writes the Washington Post. Pressed repeatedly yesterday to describe what "conditions" they would like to see before recommending a troop withdrawal, the general and ambassador parried for 8 straight hours, offering bromides like "battlefield geometry" and "political-military calculus." More »

  • Candidates Seize Petraeus Moment

    Apr 8, 08 4:48 PM CDT
    Candidates Seize Petraeus Moment Today’s Capitol Hill appearance by Gen. David Petraeus was a golden opportunity for the White House hopefuls to flex their Iraq rhetoric, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hillary Clinton called for a troop withdrawal; though she agreed the decisions weren’t “easy,” she said the Bush administration “often talks about the costs of leaving Iraq … while ignoring the greater costs of staying.” More »

This photo, supplied by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, shows Angelina Jolie talking to a wheelchair-bound woman, one of some 1,300 trapped at the makeshift Al Waleed refugee camp inside...   (Associated Press)
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, right, accompanied by Gen. David Petraeus, left, speaks during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerald...   (Associated Press)
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, accompanied by Gen. David Petraeus, left, arrives to testify on the future course of the war in Iraq, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services...   (Associated Press)
Kurdish refugees sit near the village of Shewe Perde Hasso, an a improvised refugee camp, in Iraq, near the Iranian border, Thursday Aug. 30, 2007. (AP Photo/Yahya Ahmed)   (Associated Press)
Iraqi refugees gather in front of the offices of the United Nations High Committee for Refugees to register their names in Damascus, Syria, in this Feb. 11, 2007 file photo. U.N. Secretary-General Ban...   (Associated Press)
prev    next
play
Issues Facing Iraqi Refugees in the US   (kasaby (YouTube))

prev   next

Threads (1 of 1)

Tags

Iraq  • United Nations  • United States  • David Petraeus  • Ryan Crocker  • refugee  • Iraqi refugees


Loading...

Loading...

Next story from this section »

Today's Most Popular


Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »