Report: Guam listed as a possible staging area for Iraqi immigrants

[unhappycamper]

Report: Guam listed as a possible staging area for Iraqi immigrants
By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, January 18, 2009

TOKYO — As military and local leaders on Guam prepare for the planned arrival of 8,000 U.S. Marines, another group of people could be headed their way from Iraq, according to a report from a Washington think tank.

The report, "Operation Safe Haven Iraq 2009," calls on President-elect Barack Obama to speed the immigration process for Iraqis who work for the U.S. military as translators or contractors.

Guam, which has a history of playing host to wartime refugees, is listed as a possible staging area for the immigrants as they await the final stages of approval.

"We believe that the current programs continue to take too long," said Natalie Ondiak, who along with Brian Katulis wrote the report. She added that many lives remain at risk.

The report says that an estimated 30,000 to 100,000 Iraqis who are working with or have worked with U.S. forces face threats because of their jobs during the war.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60073