Not of American troops into Iraq, but of Iraqi refugess returning to thier country. The improved security conditions have encouraging results:
Syria has absorbed the lion’s share of Iraqi refugees during the war. But the Times of London reports that as a result of the Iraqi return, “Saida Zaynab, the Damascus neighborhoods once dominated by many of the 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, is almost deserted. Apartment prices are plummeting and once-crowded shops and buses are half empty.”
Hussein Ali Saleh, director of the National Theatre in Baghdad, stages plays for refugees in Damascus. He reports that the al-Najum theatre was filled with 400 Iraqis on an average night. Lately, barely 50 show up.
“In the last month, 60% of the Iraqis I know have returned,” he told the Times. “The situation has changed completely. They all want to go back. Even my own family back in Baghdad is telling me the situation is much better.”
“There is a large movement of people going back to Iraq. We are doing rapid research on this,” added a spokesman for the United Nations High Commission on Refugees.
Let us all hope they go back and take advantage of the security and are motivated by the progress both our military and the Iraqi Army and police have made since the surge began. Hopefully, they will see the citizens taking part in the progress and be motivated to lend a hand as well.
Things are getting better. Are you willing to fund the war yet Dems, or do we still need to pull out now?
