Baby, You Don't Have To Live Like a Refugee

The Bush administration has agreed to allow 7000 Iraqi refugees to emigrate to the United States this year. How many did we let in last year? 202.

This is a really huge issue that we're only beginning to think through. By some estimates, 2 million refugees have already left Iraq for neighboring countries, with almost that many more displaced within Iraq itself. As most Democrats--and even a few Republicans--have come to understand, George Bush lost Iraq years ago. When he started this war, our swaggering drag-show cowboy borrowed some leather chaps and a big Texas hat, but he took the stage with a little pistol that fired only blanks. Now that he's been left standing naked in front of a jeering and unimpressed crowd, he's got to figure out how to regain some of our lost dignity. (Did we really put this reality show on TV? The characters are all so obnoxious and unbelievable!)

From a humanitarian standpoint, there's no question that we'll have to do more, a LOT more, to help those Iraqis who bravely stood beside us during the occupation only to find themselves in grave peril as the government we installed turns day-by-day into a sectarian satellite for the Iranian mullahs. NPR ran a story this morning comparing the situation to the one the US faced during WWII, when we turned away European Jews by the hundreds of thousands, including Otto Frank, father of Anne. Iraq may not be facing the Holocaust, but there should be little doubt that great violence will befall those moderate and modernist Iraqis from whom we sought support. We need a greatly expanded visa process in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, and we need to start thinking about how to integrate those Iraqis into American life. I can't imagine this will go over well with the Tom Tancredo wing of the GOP. If you fear Mexican immigration will allow terrorists to sneak into the country, what will you make of the new Iraqis?

Bush has always made a show of being immigration-tolerant. If the Dems wanted to, this is an issue where they could put some pressure on the C-in-C to put his money where his mouth is. He'll resist. Allowing large numbers of refugees is an admission of defeat, especially since they'll deplete the ranks of our in-country allies. So be it. This is a debate we need to have. Let Lou Dobbs rant. Exploding Arab immigration may be the ironic and unintended consequence of a failed foreign policy. But justice demands we address this crisis and address it SOON.