Syria blames US for 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Iraq

[deadparrot]

DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syria's vice president blamed Washington for the "humanitarian catastrophe" caused by an outflow of refugees from war-torn Iraq, official media reported.

"The invasion of Iraq has led to an outpouring of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees to Syria and neighbouring countries," Faruq al-Shara said after meeting the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, the SANA news agency said.

The influx of refugees has "imposed heavy economic, social and security burdens," Shara was quoted as saying during his talks with Guterres in the Syrian capital.

"The United States assumes the largest share of responsibility in this humanitarian catastrophe," Shara said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/unsyriairaqrefugees

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Syria is correct in laying blame on the US.

[ohio2007]

2. Syria has a serious refugee problem

many come across the border with no family ties

[Eugene]

3. Reuters: Rice authorizes talks with Syria on Iraqi refugees

Rice authorizes talks with Syria on Iraqi refugees
08 Feb 2007 22:01:10 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Arshad Mohammed

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on
Thursday she had authorized the U.S. embassy in Damascus to talk to Syria about
Iraqi refugees but played down the chances of a broader conversation about Iraq.

U.S. officials have long accused Syria of doing little to stem the flow of Islamist
fighters and weapons across its long, porous border with Iraq. Syrian officials have
said sealing the border is impossible and Iraq must do more to patrol its side.

The Bush administration for months has resisted arguments it should engage directly
with Damascus to try to stabilize the situation in Iraq, arguing such talks have been
fruitless in the past and that Syria knows what it should do to help Iraq.

Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rice told lawmakers she had
"explicitly" authorized the top U.S. diplomat in Damascus to talk to Syria about the flow
of Iraqi refugees into Syria. She made clear this did not presage a wider conversation
on Iraq with Syrian officials.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N08437310.htm

[ninkasi]

4. Well, they're right

Bush has created a hell for Iraqis, and in turn, a burden for the countries they seek refuge in. Of course, Bush cares nothing about the death, maiming, and grief he is causing, because he's a sociopath. In spite of the colossal blunder that the invasion of Iraq is, he is apparently eager now to compound his mistakes by an assault on Iran. The neocons have not been right about one single thing they predicted before the Iraq debacle. Instead of finding a way out of this ever mounting fiasco, he is ready to make it worse.

The man is a walking disaster, and needs to be impeached not only for the good of the United States, but for the good of the world. It's going to take a long time to mend the broken trust that others have of us, and he is instead trying to make it worse, and cause the whole region to go up in flames. It's not like he's going to suffer any consequences for his wrong decisions, that's left for the rest of the world to bear.

[MasonJar]

5. Hey, Condi, just give them their country and their oil back. Of course

the US is to blame. We have a stick man for president.

[sweetheart]

6. as usual, bush spends and somebody else pays. nt

[burrowowl]

7. Well NO KIDDING!

But this is U$ of A modus operandi, since the Monroe Doctrine and Teddy Roosevelt who inaugurated the NEW U$ Imperialism, e.g., Banana Republics, Haiti never being free, Yugoslavia's disintegration, etc., etc, etc.