The Underbelly of Occupation

With the invasion of Iraq and its chaotic aftermath, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have fled their homes and sought refuge in safer havens. The places they choose is itself telling. They choose to enter camps where there are no human amnities avaialable, simply to flee the threat of death and brutality by either insurgents, trrorists or US soldiers.

The major point to bear in mind ins that there are hundreds of thousands of people who choose to flee a country they once called home. They have chosen refugee circumstances because they realize that the conditions in their homes are unsafe and outright threatening.
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Silent exodus leaves 500,000 Iraqi refugees in Syria in need of protection and aid
Report, Refugees International, 15 November 2005

Little known to the rest of the world, the recent war in Iraq has created large numbers of refugees who have fled to Syria, escaping the lawlessness, harassment, and persecution that has followed. Iraqis, some accused of supporting the Americans, cite attacks, kidnappings, and threats of murder by insurgent groups upon themselves and their families as reasons for their flight. “I was threatened that if I didn’t quit [a job with U.S. supported employer], they would kill me. For our security, I brought my family to Syria,” one recent arrival told Refugees International (RI). Others were maimed by the war, lost family members, and could not find employment, making the likelihood of their survival alone amidst the general insecurity in Iraq a near impossibility. ... Read More

Also see Iraqis flee war, persecution