More on the wonders of Israel shortly, but first …
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2007/07/26/jordan_complains_of_iraqi_refugees/
Iraqi refugees burdening neighbors
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) Jordan and Syria complained Thursday they have been abandoned by the West to deal with the massive burden of more than 2 million Iraqi refugees who have fled the violence in their homeland. Both countries issued urgent calls for help at a conference on Iraqi refugees, specifically expanded resettlement opportunities in the West and financial assistance.
Milad Atiya, the Syrian ambassador to Jordan and head of his country’s delegation to the conference, said the international community “must be involved, especially the United States because its policy led to the plight the Iraqis are currently in and it bears responsibility.” Jordanian Interior Ministry Secretary-General Mukheimar Abu-Jamous argued that Western nations “relinquished their responsibility in shouldering the Iraqi refugee burden, and we urge them to rise to their obligation and resettle the largest number possible of those Iraqis.”
The influx of 750,000 Iraqis is costing Jordan $1 billion a year in basic services, Abu-Jamous told the gathering in the Jordanian capital. He also said the Iraqis posed security concerns for Jordan, which experienced its worst terror attack in 2005 when Iraqi suicide bombers linked to al-Qaida in Iraq killed 60 people at three Amman hotels.
