A 'Silent Exodus" from Iraq--500,000 Iraqi refugees in Syria (Toronto Star

[Gloria]

1//The Toronto Star, Canada Dec. 11, 2005. 01:00 AM

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1134256208973&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154



A ‘SILENT EXODUS’ FROM IRAQ

Mitch Potter

Middle East Bureau, Damascus



Eight Iraqis sit cross-legged on mats in the south Syrian capital, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Saddam Hussein is on the television behind them, beaming defiance from a Baghdad courtroom.



The former Iraqi dictator doesn't matter much to them now. Hang him, don't hang him whatever.



He was the old Iraq. The old Iraq is gone.



Sadly for the refugees in this barren, third-floor walkup, the new Iraq is gone as well.



They live in limbo today, displaced as part of what United Nations' officials are calling a "silent exodus" of as many as 500,000 Iraqis who have quietly slipped into Syria over the past two years, since a deepening insurgency took hold of their country.



Syria, already straining under the double dilemma of rising international isolation and acute poverty, can ill afford the inflow of mostly destitute Iraqis. But in the spirit of Arab brotherhood, asylum has been granted. And now, three Damascus neighbourhoods are overflowing with Iraqis, while thousands more have taken shelter along the Euphrates River valley, where tribal custom obliges unconditional hospitality.

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[PDittie]

1. They're there on the order of the US Marines

to find the WMD (or die tryin').

[Skink]

2. Future freedom fighters.

[Yupster]

3. If a Civil War does erupt

and the Sadr militia is mobilized, I predict te entire population of the Sunni Triangle will be on the road to Syria.

[FloridaPat]

4. 1/2 million leave. Prabably about 200,000 killed by us. How many

are left to claim ownership of the oil fields?

This is the Israel plan - get those Arabs moved anywhere else.