46,000 Stream in, Only After 2.1 million Have Fled
While an Iraqi General attributed the rare influx of Iraqis to an “improving security situation”, the "influx" comes at the same time comes
- ...as Iraq’s neighbors, particularly Syria and Jordan, have tightened their borders to Iraqis fleeing the turmoil in their own country. Syria is home to at least 1.2 million Iraqi refugees, and Jordan has about 750,000. Many of those Iraqis are living in limbo, unable to work and running out of whatever money they were able to bring out of Iraq.
If any security improvements come for any reason, the Iraqis must use the chance to make some political agreements to secure gains made. If they cannot work together politically, then all military gains/advantages are lost as result. If the surge is the reason for recent security gains, then it will be short lived as we are beginning to draw down to pre-surge levels in January. If the surge is the reason then the Iraqis need to move politically because we are not likely to "surge again". Another possibility is that the violence is down because the bloody partitioning of the greater Baghdad area is done. There are few mixed neighborhoods left. America needs to realize that this is in Iraqi hands now, not ours. We should take our cues from the Iraqi government. If they can function help them. The check is not blank, though. And neither is American political or military committment.
