The Future of the U.S. Military Presence in Iraq

This morning I attended The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) panel concerning The Future of the U.S. Military Presence in Iraq. It featured Kimberly Kagan of The Institute for the Study of War, Colin Kahl of The Center for a New American Security, Charles Knight of The Project on Defense Alternatives at the Commonwealth Institute, and Rend al-Rahim of the USIP. The panel was moderated by Daniel Serwer, also of USIP. Also in attendance was Marc Lynch, better known as the author of Abu Aardvark. Lynch reports:

To very briefly summarize, Kimberly Kagan laid out the familiar argument for the surge's success and the great progress being made, with more nuance and caveats than in some of her op-eds (but still drawing this from Colin Kahl: "I guess I see the glass half-empty, and Kim sees the glass as... overflowing"). Charles Knight gave a highly cogent presentation of the Commonwealth Institute's "Quickly, Carefully, Generously" report, arguing passionately that there will be no real political reconciliation until American military forces leave. Colin Kahl presented the Center for a New American Security's "Shaping the Iraqi Inheritance" report calling for "conditional engagement", arguing for the need to move away from 'Iraq centrism' (strategic interests actually exist beyond Iraq's borders, if you can believe it) and 'Iraq maximalism' (holding our policies hostage to outcomes manifestly beyond our capabilities to produce). Finally, Rend al-Rahim laid out a devastating depiction of Iraq's current situation, and - perhaps surprisingly - offered a wholehearted endorsement of Kahl's description of Iraq and policy recommendations.

Charles Knight spoke about the impact of the refugee crisis in Iraq: "The price we and others are paying for these blunders is not measured in blood and treasure alone – although these costs are already terribly high." He pointed to the Task Force report, which addresses one example of the extraordinary costs of the war:

There are now millions of refugees and millions of internally displaced persons, totally nearly 15% of the Iraq population. The displacement of a proportional number of Americans would mean: 45 million forced from their homes, the equivalent of emptying out the population of America’s ten largest cities. This happened under the American watch in Iraq. It is an immense failure for an occupying power; one we still respond to in the most "care less" of ways.

I noted that only two of the four panelists, Colin Kahl and Rend al-Rahim, used the phrase "sustainable security" in regard to the future of Iraq. In all my shaky earnestness, I got up to the microphone and pointed out this fact, and then proceeded to ask the first question in Q&A session:

"My question pertains to the ongoing process of securing peace in Iraq. In the opinion of the panelists, how is the future of peace in Iraq effected by the ticking time-bomb of 4.7 million displaced Iraqis, and what are the potential future effects of this deepening crisis, such as the unmet needs of those with no access to livelihoods?"

Rend al-Rahim replied that the dire conditions in which large numbers of refugees in Syria and Jordan live could breed radicalization, and therefore make refugees prone to taking extremist positions. Colin Kahl emphasized that clear and well-enforced property rights laws for returning internally displaced persons and refugees will be very important in securing a peaceful transition to regular life once refugees are resettled, but this will be a difficult task. Kahl also suggested that the IDPs be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections.

I applaud their recognition of the huge role that vulnerable refugees will play in the future and for understanding that the reactions of the displaced will have a huge impact on the future of Iraq and therefore should be considered when discussing America's role in the conflict.

Photo Caption: Panelists speak about the future of the U.S. military in Iraq at a forum hosted by the United States Institute of Peace

U.S. Expands Visa Program for Iraqi Allies

The New York Times is reporting that the United States is expanding its visa program for Iraqi allies by 10 times. The expansion is specifically for Iraqi employees of the American government and armed forces, who faced threats because of their service. It expands the qualifications of those who are eligible to obtain visas and ultimately citizenship in the United States. Last year, Senators Kennedy and Smith created a similar plan, but this version is better because of its scale, because resettled persons receive assistance for eight months after being settled in the United States, and because applicants can apply from within Iraq.

According to Amelia Templeton, a refugee analyst at Human Rights First, “The visa programs grew largely because of the combined lobbying efforts of refugee experts, nonprofit organizations, United States government employees who worked in Iraq and American soldiers and marines.”

This is a welcome step towards the current administration addressing the refugee crisis, but the State Department and administration still must do more to meet the needs of the nearly five million displaced Iraqis, not just those who allied with coalition forces in Iraq.

Making It...Nasser Nouri's Story

Yesterday, I attended a briefing by the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs which included special guests Jonathan Finer and Naseer Nouri. Jonathan Finer worked as a journalist covering the conflict in Iraq in 2003 and again in 2005, in addition to covering the refugee crisis in Syria and Jordan. Naseer Nouri, the briefing's most prominent speaker, worked as an Iraqi journalist and interpreter for the Washington Post from 2003 to 2008.

The Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA) graduate, former pilot and aircraft engineer fell into a job with the Washington Post after a chance encounter with Anthony Shadid, the Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent who was covering the looting in Baghdad following the fall of the regime. After a number of meetings with Shadid, either at Nouri's house, where Shadid was welcomed by his family, or at the hotel where Shadid was staying, he introduced Nouri to Rajiv Chandrasekaran, the Washington Post Baghdad bureau chief, and then Nouri started working with him, which brought about his interest in journalism. The looters had broken into Nouri's travel agency and were hauling off anything of value. Shadid couldn't help but notice Nouri yelling at the looters, and they agreed to meet later to discuss the experience. When Shadid discovered Nouri's near-fluency in English, he offered Nouri a job as a translator for the Post's Baghdad bureau.

Nouri explains: "Until then, I had mostly used newspapers to clean windows. After a number of meetings with Shadid, either at my house, where he was welcomed by my family, or at the hotel where he was staying, I became very interested about journalism. With time, I moved from translation to writing."

Proud of his new career, in which he could ensure that the history of Iraq was written correctly, news of Nouri's career move spread throughout his neighborhood. Then, in the span of 15 days, events occurred that changed Nouri and his family's life forever. Twice, a group of men narrowly missed abducting his youngest daughter, while Al Qaeda succeeded in kidnapping his 15 year old nephew. In a separate incident, his nephue escaped his captors by claiming to use the restroom. Other family members were also targeted. His brother in-law was killed by men in police uniform when he was on his way to Baghdad from Kirkuk, at the north east of Baghdad. He came to bring Nouri's family some money so they could obtain passports and be able to travel to Amman.

Nouri took his family to Amman, Jordan to keep them safe. Facing numerous obstacles to a better life there, he knew he had to try to get his family to America. Applying to the UNHCR in February 2007, Nouri wasn't accepted until the 21rst of May 2008. In America, Nouri and his family still face tremendous challenges not unlike the other "lucky" refugees who make it to America, in a system not fully prepared to resettle families. Our Iraqi allies who make it to the United States have considerable talents, which if utilized contribute to society. Instead, many refugees are forced to take low paying jobs that don't match their professional skill sets and educational experience. According to Mr. Nouri, the best thing we can do is to set up a system that fully integrates Iraqi refugees into society, from getting them here to making sure that parents have proper jobs and their children are properly educated. Think about how frustrating it must be for an Iraqi teenager to have to start school many grade levels below their peers once they get to America.

Nouri and Finer agreed that, even if the U.S. meets its goal of admitting 12,000 Iraqi refugees for this fiscal year, in addition to admitting another 5,000 Iraqis through the Special Immigrant Visa program, the U.S. effort is a drop in the bucket considering both the scale of the crisis, over 2 million refugees and over 2.7 million internally displaced, and the U.S.'s moral obligation to its Iraqi allies. No matter you feel about the war, we can all agree that the U.S. must do more to raise its admittance goals and take care of vulnerable Iraqis, even once they make it to the United States. Vulnerable Iraqis should not be forced to choose between a life of poverty and mortal danger.

Photo Caption: A recent photograph of Nasser Nouri

The House Foreign Affairs Committee Approves a Bill to Help Iraqi Refugees

Yesterday, I watched as the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved H.R. 6328, a bill creating a White House coordinator for Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in the Executive Office of the President. The creation of such a high level position could strengthen America's ability to respond to the humanitarian crisis.

The coordinator will:

• Develop and implement U.S. policies, coordinate federal functions, and address the protection, resettlement, and assistance needs of Iraqi refugees and displaced persons
  
• Monitor the development and implementation of assistance strategies to countries in the Middle East hosting Iraqi refugees
  
• ensure that the President's budget requests to Congress are sufficient to meet the needs of such persons, including providing assistance for international efforts on behalf of such persons
  
• Serve as principal liaison with the government of Iraq and the international community and organizations that are assisting such persons
  
• Ensure that the U.S. government will encourage refugee returns only when conditions permit safe and voluntary returns
  

Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and cosponsor of the bill, stressed the need for action: "Communities have been overrun by violence from all sides, uprooting families and destroying livelihoods. We have a moral obligation to make every effort to help these people, especially those who have assisted our forces and personnel in Iraq and who fear they may never be able to go home.” The bill would be a very productive step in getting the White House to publicly recognize the crisis.

We commend Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-CA) on his leadership, and the 10 cosponsors for supporting this important measure. It may be referred to another committee before reaching the floor of the House for a vote.

Photo Caption: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman of California listens as ranking member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida makes an opening statement during recent markup hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

U.S. Admits 1,721 Iraqi Refugees in June; Still Shy of 2008 Goal

Conflict in Iraq has forced more than 2 million Iraqis to flee their nation and over 2 million more to be displaced with Iraq. Unfortunately, the response from the U.S. government has been woefully inadequate.

The U.S. plans to allow 12,000 Iraqi refugees into the country during the 2008 Fiscal Year. The Associated Press reports that the administration admitted 1,721 Iraqi refugees in June, which is an increase from the 1,141 admitted in May. In addition to the goal of resettling 12,000 refugees, the administration is supposed to grant 5,000 Special Immigrant Visas. Normally, for a refugee to be resettled in the U.S., the UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) must refer him for resettlement to the U.S. State Department before his application is processed. SIVs bypass the UN referral process because SIVs are designed for those Iraqi's who face immanent danger because of their ties to the United States coalition, including Iraqis who worked as translators and interpreters, or those with pressing medical needs.

Last year, Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Smith (R-OR) co-sponsored the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act, which established the Special Immigrant Visa program. The intent of the Kennedy-Smith bill is to ensure that 5,000 Iraqis are resettled in the U.S. through the SIV program annually. According to the act, the 5,000 resettled with SIVs is in addition to the goal of 12,000 admittance set by the Bush administration. We must ensure that the administration follows the intent of the Kennedy-Smith bill, rather than including the 5,000 SIV admittance as part of the 12,000 refugee quota.

The crisis is ongoing but thanks to support from fine folks like you, we are making hard fought gains in the right direction.

The Small Swedish Town

Last April,The Washington Post had a story about Södertälje, the small Swedish town that has received more refugees than the US and Canada combined since 2003. The town is in the news again, in the Arab media this time. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, a London-based Arab newspaper, featured the town’s struggle to cope with the big number of Iraqi refugees resettled there. Following is an informal EPIC-translated excerpt of that report:

The story of Iraqi refugees and their suffering is not new; it is a continuous tragedy inside and outside Iraq. A small Swedish town gained international fame because of the tragedy.

Södertälje’s mayor, Anders Lago, addressed Congress last April, with criticism for the way it is dealing with the Iraqi refugee crisis. Södertälje, a town of 83,000, has received nearly 7000 Iraqi refugees since 2003, and Sweden in general has received 40,000 while the number of Iraqi refugees resettled in the US does not exceed six thousand. Lago renewed his appeal to the world to help Iraqi refugees. His appeal comes as the international community is congregated in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, for an economic conference on Iraq. Lago took advantage of the presence of more than 350 journalists covering the conference and held a press conference in Södertälje, 18 miles southwest of Stockholm and home to 5% of the total number of Iraqi refugees in Europe. But Lago was not the only speaker about Iraqi refugees (10% of the town’s residents); he also had some of the refugees as participants to speak about their harsh conditions.

Lago insisted in his interview with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that “the time has come to say no, enough, we don’t want more refugees”. Swedish refugee law does not prevent refugees from resettling in a certain area and Lago explained that he is in talks with the Swedish government to amend that law so that refugees will resettle in different areas instead of being all resettled in the same place. At the moment, Malmo, Södertälje, Stockholm and Gothenburg are the cities where most Iraqi refugees are resettled. He also added that “Sweden is in need of refugees since it is a big country with low rates of population growth. There is no problem preventing Sweden from resettling 30,000 refugees; the issue is: the majority of them are resettling in one area”. Between the years 2006-2007, Södertälje has received nearly a 100 refugees a month from Iraq and the number is not expected to decrease. That is given the fact that resettled Iraqi refugees are already applying for family reunions which means that each refugee will bring at least one family member from Iraq.

Lago also said “last year we received a number of Iraqi refugees bigger than the number received by both the US and Canada. But for this year we hope to have better balance between Södertälje and the US”. He also drew attention to the problems of resettling a huge number of refugees in Södertälje dividing them into three main parts, “first part is schools that are having difficulties absorbing the number of new students. Södertälje already has 8000 students, 500 of them need special classes to help them with the language”. He added “the second part is housing explaining that the Municipality provided refugees in need of money with homes but 2000 of them do not have housing so they are obliged to live with relatives.” The third is “employment difficulties” adding “we cannot as, a small town, create 1000 jobs a year. It is impossible” but he continued: “40% of Iraqis here are college-educated and have important experience so we have to help them by providing appropriate jobs instead of letting them be taxi drivers”. Lago also explained that “the conference is very important because it represents a new situation for Iraqis displaced inside or outside the country; he added that “[I] will ask for extra protection for Christians in addition to demanding a shared international responsibility towards Iraqi refugees”, concluding “the US started the war and a small town like Södertälje is taking the huge burden of refugees”.

Raji Al-Yousif, a refugee from Mosul with a degree in engineering, appealed to the Swedish government to help Iraqi refugees saying “there is no one to protect us”. Christian groups criticized the Iraqi government on the conference eve, asking them to protect Christian minority in Iraq which is targeted like other Iraqi ethnic groups. Protests started in the past few days in Stockholm and other Swedish cities while several Iraqi societies were preparing to meet Iraqi PM tomorrow in a series of meetings organized by the Iraqi community in Sweden.

Some of the refugees said “we demand from the Swedish government to adapt a courageous position as they did with Bosnia and Herzegovina and to grant Iraqi refugees applications”. There are fears of turning back refugees and send them back to Iraq especially the ones whose applications were denied in the past few months. The Swedish government signed a memorandum of understanding with Iraq last January; the memorandum does not consider Iraq a conflict zone which means “asylum seekers have to prove that they are under personal threat as opposed to fleeing the general violence”. This policy is resulting in “tens of denied applications a day and most of the people denied have lost everything in their country”, said some of the refugees.

Concerns were obvious for Iraqi refugees regarding the denial rate of their applications and fear of being sent back to Iraq. Dr. Sundus, an Iraqi refugee could not hold her tears when talking about her future “I feel pain when I talk about my future, what else one could feel when they lose country, home, job and all they had achieved?” Dr. Sundus was a professor at Baghdad University for 12 years before applying for asylum in Sweden after arriving with an expensive forged passport. She added “I came to a safe place to get a new life and settle down” but she was shocked when she arrived last December to hear that denied applications were more than the granted, she sighed saying “I don’t know about the future everything is dark, vague and news about sending refugees back scares me”.

Town’s officials stressed that there is no resentment among Södertälje’s natives towards the new arrivals; noting that forty percent of Södertälje’s population is not born in Sweden. The media attention on the small town seems to be taken its toll, though. A number of residents refused to answer Al-Sharq Al-Awsat’s questions about their opinions while students at a school welcomed journalists by throwing eggs at them. The school which is located in a poor neighborhood of Södertälje has 200 students, 15% of them attend special language classes in Swedish language for 2 years before merging into other classes. Ema Fagerstrand, an official in charge of municipal policy explained “students are tired of the media circus around them”. And as a result of the huge media attention on Södertälje, the municipality decided to appoint a special communications director.

Dr. Sundus, the university professor, said she will ask the Iraqi official delegation “where is the money that was spent on reconstructing Iraq and how do you say Iraq is reconstructed now? How many of your families live with you in Iraq now and how do you expect us to live there?

Headlines 5/9/08

A collection of articles that shed light on the multiple dimensions of the Iraqi Displacement Crisis:

Iraqi legislators ask Iraqi Government to support refugees
EPIC is encouraged to see the Iraqi Government beginning to realize its obligation to help its own citizens. It is certainly a small step in the right direction and we hope to witness an increasing role by the Government of Iraq. We will monitor the story and will keep you updated on the developments.

Jordan pledges to UN continued help to Iraqi refugees
While this is important and encouraging, we strongly urge the Jordanian government to continue its efforts and we urge the United Nation to take a more proactive role.

More funding needed to help Iraqi refugees, UN says
EPIC has constantly and strongly called for more international support and it is our hope that the international community will do its part to alleviate a tragic situation.

Finally, two stories describing the beginning of a journey from uncertainty to ambition and hope. Iraqis in Idaho and Iraqis in Virginia.

All these articles strongly demonstrate that more work still needs to be done and more resources should be allocated to help Iraqis starting new lives in the United States. They also show the complexity of a crisis that undoubtedly requires our collective effort to be altered.

Photo Caption: Alaa A. Amir, right, translates some paperwork for the Saeed family — left to right: Robert, Thaer, Vivian, Stewart, and Steve. The Amir and Saeed families live in the same apartment complex in Boise. By Troy Maben for USA TODAY.

Safe, But Feeling Isolated

In a recent entry, "Success Stories and the Road Ahead", I commended Congress for beginning to address the Iraqi refugee crisis. I also argued, because many Iraqi refugees are terribly short on money and often must spend their life savings just to make it to the United States, that the U.S. must go a step further by accomodating such refugees when they do finally arrive.

When an individual is resettled in the United States via standard protocol, they are given refugee status. They are put in contact with a social service agency that provides them with food stamps and three months’ rent. Alternately, when someone enters the U.S. with a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), they are not afforded refugee status and therefore do not receive what few benefits a social service agency provides.

In fiscal year 07, 820 Iraqis entered the United States with SIV’s. That means over half of the 1,608 Iraqis who came into the U.S. last year are not receiving the benefits afforded with refugee status.

The Washington Post ran an article today on the discomfort, isolation and utter lack of resources Iraqis face when they arrive in the States. Most of the refugees interviewed were resettled via standard procedures. But three months' rent does little in the way of financial help and does nothing in the way of adjusting Iraqis to American culture.

Hakee Ismael was helping U.S. troops in Baghdad when they were ambushed. The attack left him blind. He came to the States with his wife, Zainab, and their three-year-old son, Sodiq. Nadhum Ali al-Hasnawi was a Shiite upholsterer in the predominantly Sunni city of Taji, north of Baghdad. It wasn't long before a death threat came to his family's home in the form of a hail of gunfire. These Iraqis are part of a small group of 38 who were resettled in the Tucson area. They have each other for company and support, but little else.

Iraqis are often left traumatized by their conflict at home, and here in the U.S. they feel disoriented and alone. According to the Washington Post, the social service agencies designated to help refugees are often unable to do so. The U.S. must act responsibly by taking care of the most vulnerable Iraqis not only by resettling them in the United States, but also by appropriating funds to help them through the adjustment period. Sen. Cardin (D-MD) has introduced legislation (currently a provision in the Labor-HHS appropriations bill) that would provide Iraqis who come to the U.S. with SIV's the same benefits that come with refugee status. It's a start, and we must see it through.

At this point, the U.S. is doing only what I've described above, but there are some Americans who are stepping up where the administration is falling short. I've previously written about American servicemen and women helping Iraqis who helped us. Erin Simpson and Christy Voelkel are two Tucson residents who organized a community collection effort to help locally resettled Iraqis. They have raised money with their community and have personally delivered kitchen equipment, clothes, pillows and children's toys to Iraqis.

We can show our true colors as Americans by stepping up and taking the initiative to help our Iraqi friends. EPIC is in the process of compiling a list of resettlement agencies across the country so that you may get involved. If you live in the Arizona region and want to help right now, you can contact Erin Simpson.

Caption: Fawzi al-Khazraji, 42, in his new Tucson home; David Sanders for the Washington Post 11/2007

The Iraq Crisis in Numbers: An Update

Recently, the Baltimore Sun ran an article on the refugee crisis. I was happy to see a local newspaper tackling the issue; I take it (with a heavy dose of optimism) as an indication that more and more people are paying attention to the crisis.

The article focused on one of the six Iraqis resettled in Maryland in fiscal year 2007, a woman named Ban Saadi Abdallattif, who came to the States with her nine-year-old son Sajad Mokhalad Bashar. Ms. Abdallattif was a teacher when she lived in Diyala. But the February, 2006 Samarra bombing of Al-Shi'a Al-Askari mosque marked a dramatic spike in violence that took the lives of her uncle and cousin, and which nearly led to her brother's kidnapping. Theirs is a mixed Shi'a and Sunni family, making them targets for both sides of the conflict. She fled to Syria with her entire family just over a year ago and arrived in Laurel, Maryland, this September.

Ban Saadi Abdallattif is awaiting a Social Security number so that she can begin work. Her son is in school in Laurel. She is relieved to be in the safety of the U.S. and does not plan to return to Iraq.

Sadly, Ban Saadi Abdallattif and her son represent only a fraction of the displacement crisis, and a remarkably lucky fraction at that. This fact is starkly indicated by the following stats, which clearly demonstrate the concerted effort that is required to address the crisis:

Internally Displaced Persons in Iraq: 2.3 million (UN High Commissioner for Refugees)

Refugees outside of Iraq: 2.4 million (UNHCR)

Total number displaced: 4.7 million (UNHCR)

UNHCR referrals to the United States as of Oct 5: 11,911 (Baltimore Sun)

Total number of Iraqi refugees admitted in the 2007 fiscal year: 1,608 (Human Rights First)

Of these, number referred by the UNHCR in FY07: 1,510 (HRF)

Number referred by a U.S. embassy program for Iraqi employees in FY07: 98 (HRF)

Special immigrant visas issued to translators and their family members in FY07: 820 (HRF)

Iraqi governorates with restrictions on internal movement: at least 11 of 18 (UNHCR)

UNHCR Syria: 1.4 million Iraqi refugees; 128,000 registered, nearly 36 percent with specific needs (UNHCR)

UNHCR Jordan: 1 million Iraqi refugees; 48,833 registered, 14.4 percent with specific needs (UNHCR)