Iraqi refugee admissions fall short

[Barrett808]

Source: Associated Press

Iraqi refugee admissions fall short
By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The United States admitted more than 1,600 Iraqi refugees over the past 12 months, but still fell short of its goal for the year despite a last-minute push to reach a reduced target of 2,000, according to State Department figures.

Amid a furor over the slow pace of admissions for the world's fastest growing refugee population, the Bush administration allowed 1,608 Iraqis into the country between last September and this October, the span covering the government's fiscal 2007.

In February, officials said they hoped to process about 7,000 Iraqi refugees for resettlement in the United States, but sharply reduced that target to 2,000 over the summer when it became clear the original figure could not be met.

The blame for the slow pace is placed on bureaucratic slowdowns — including bickering between the State Department, which is in charge of refugee resettlement, and the Department of Homeland Security, which must screen would-be admittees. Another factor was a lack of cooperation from some foreign countries.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071001/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_refugees