Headlines 3/5/08

ACT: Iraqi refugees who leave homes for the safety of Syria still face challenges
Reuters
March 5, 2008
In the predominantly Shi'ite Set Zeinab section of Damascus lives an Iraqi tailor who spends his days making women's head coverings. Middle-aged Kazin explains to visitors that the light colored cotton fabric he uses is suitable for his poor eyesight, a result of the torture he suffered when he was a prisoner during the Saddam years.

Iraqi Refugees in Lebanon, Jordan under Psychological Distress
Associated Press
March 5, 2008
Large numbers of Iraqi refugees are experiencing psychological distress including panic attacks and problems sleeping, a study by the International Organization for Migration said Tuesday.

Commander in Mideast says decreased violence in Iraq not irreversible
ABC News
March 4, 2008
Admiral William Fallon tells a Senate committee there's been a dramatic drop in violence in Iraq. But he warns that the threat of extremism remains high and that ground gained in Iraq can still be lost.

UNHCR second rapid assessment of return of Iraqis from displacement locations in Iraq and from neighbouring countries
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
March 4, 2008
UNHCR has clear criteria for promotion of returns and those criteria are not met by the current situation in Iraq. Therefore, UNHCR is not promoting returns to Iraq in the present circumstances because UNHCR does not believe the conditions are there to enable return in full safety and dignity on a meaningful scale.

Iraqi Refugees: Living in Limbo
Christian Relief Services
March 4, 2008
"We had to flee Iraq because of the violence," the father of four began. "One day while I was at work, my wife was confronted by militia members with a warning: get out or you will be killed." He explained that he'd been targeted after reporting that a Shia sect's militia had planted bombs on the side of a nearby road.

Violence Leaves Young Iraqis Doubting Clerics
New York Times
March 4, 2008
After almost five years of war, many young people in Iraq, exhausted by constant firsthand exposure to the violence of religious extremism, say they have grown disillusioned with religious leaders and skeptical of the faith that they preach.

U.S. slow to admit refugees
Associated Press
March 2, 2008
The number of Iraqi refugees admitted to the United States rose slightly for the second month in a row, although the Bush administration still will struggle to meet its target of 12,000 by the end of September.

Guards to resume patrols in key Iraq province
Reuters
March 1, 2008
Tribal security guards patrolling one of Iraq's most dangerous provinces agreed to return to work on Saturday after a three-week strike, one of their leaders and the U.S. military said.

Despite Problems, Iraqi Leader Boasts of Success
Washington Post
February 29, 2008
"We promised we would bring national reconciliation to the sons of Iraq, and we have succeeded!" Maliki thundered to hundreds of thousands of Shiites gathered at the golden-domed Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala. "Iraqis are once again loving brothers!"

Sunni forces losing patience with U.S.
Washington Post
February 28, 2008
U.S.-backed Sunni volunteer forces, which have played a vital role in reducing violence in Iraq, are increasingly frustrated with the American military and the Iraqi government over what they see as a lack of recognition of their growing political clout and insufficient U.S. support.

Shiite pilgrims flock to Iraq shrine city
Associated Press
February 27, 2008
Amid tight security, millions of Shiite pilgrims flocked Wednesday to the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala for Arbaeen, one of the holiest ceremonies in the Shiite calendar which was largely suppressed during the iron-fisted rule of Saddam Hussein.

Iraq presidency rejects provincial election law
Associated Press
February 27, 2008
Iraq's three-member presidency council has rejected a draft law to hold provincial elections and returned it to parliament, the president's office said on Wednesday.

UN Urges Iraq, US to Help With Refugees
Associated Press
February 27, 2008
A top U.N. refugee official warned on Tuesday of the possibility that Iraqi refugees might be expelled from their sanctuaries unless the United States, Iraq and other countries act quickly to help them.