Rice: the Iraqi refugee pressure "is really (on) Syria and Jordan at this point."

[sabra]

http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=950385

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Hagel said that because of "the realities of the security issue in Baghdad and other areas, we now know that ethnic cleansing is occurring." Because Iraq shares major borders with Syria and Iran, Hagel said, "I do not know how we could come up with any kind of a plan or focus (on the Iraqi refugees issue), working with the United Nations or anyone else, if Iran and Syria are not included in that." Rice said the Iraqi refugee pressure "is really (on) Syria and Jordan at this point. And I have authorized the U.S. charge in Syria to discuss this with the Syrians. We obviously have discussed it with the Jordanians." The United States has a charge in Syria "who does have discussions with the Syrians about a variety of things, but I have authorized him explicitly to talk to the Syrians about the issue of refugees, and of course Jordan we have very close contacts with," Rice said. "And the big problems, really, are Jordan and Syria, not Iran at this point." The exodus of Iraqi refugees "is a humanitarian issue," Rice said. "It is one that we are very concerned about." Rice is scheduled to meet next week in Washington with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres to discuss the issue. (

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-02/09/content_5717027.htm

Syria holds U.S. responsible for humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq

DAMASCUS, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara on Thursday held the U.S. responsible for the "humanitarian catastrophe" caused by its invasion of Iraq which led to an outflow of refugees, the official SANA news agency reported.

"The invasion of Iraq has led to the outpouring of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees to Syria and the rest of the neighboring countries," Shara was quoted as saying in a meeting with Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The influx of refugees "have imposed heavy security, social and economic burdens, ... the U.S. assumes the basic responsibility of this humanitarian catastrophe," Shara said.

For his part, Guterres voiced profound appreciation for Syria to host a big part of the refugees, hailing its efforts to alleviate their sufferings.