The Iraqis in America Opposed Saddam : Refugees: They may have been soldiers, but so were almost all men in Iraq aged 18 to 43.

From some of the commentary about resettlement of former Iraqi soldiers, people might conclude that Saddam Hussein’s loyal troops are being brought to America at taxpayer expense. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Of the 3,000 Iraqi refugees from Saudi Arabia resettled in the United States, only about 800 are former soldiers. These soldiers actively opposed Saddam Hussein’s regime and most formed the corps of freedom fighters who refused to participate in the invasion of Kuwait and fought to overthrow Saddam Hussein in March, 1991. Many were themselves members of persecuted minority groups. Their admission to the United States has been consistent with our refugee policy and national humanitarian traditions.

From 1979 until the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1989, virtually every Iraqi male between the ages of 18 and 43 was drafted. Many of these conscripts were barely trained. Discipline was erratic and desertions commonplace. In order to regroup for the next offensive, amnesties were regularly declared for deserters. Iraq’s mobilization for the invasion of Kuwait followed a similar pattern. Large numbers of would-be combatants opted to leave their units before the invasion or during the air war.

With more than a decade of these men’s lives wasted on Saddam Hussein’s misguided military exploits, it is understandable that they were among the most active participants in the failed uprising in southern Iraq immediately following the 1991 cease-fire. After the rebellion was quashed, leaflets exhorting military deserters to come over to Saudi Arabia were dropped by coalition forces inside southern Iraq. As opposition leaders, they were encouraged by the prospects of being able to regroup and strike again to topple the regime. Saudi Arabia agreed to provide refuge for what many hoped would be a brief period before Saddam Hussein’s inevitable ouster.

Within Saudi Arabia, the fleeing civilians (including women and children) were housed in a camp in Rafha near the Iraq border. The ex-soldiers--even if they had never been in Kuwait--were placed in a prisoner-of-war camp near Artawiyah along with a few hundred combatants who had either surrendered or been captured and refused to return to Iraq. The International Committee of the Red Cross assumed certain responsibilities in ensuring appropriate humanitarian treatment. About 39,000 civilians and former soldiers chose to remain in Saudi Arabia, many because of a well-founded fear of persecution should they be returned to Iraq. As a result, they then fell under the protection of human rights and refugee law and the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

By mid-1992, it had become clear that change inside Iraq was not imminent. Tensions in the refugee camps (tent cities in the Saudi desert) were rising. The United Nations began to seek resettlement opportunities. Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Pakistan, Syria, Iran and Australia have all participated in this effort. The United States agreed to do its part and, to date, has resettled about 3,000 Iraqis from the Saudi camps.

All applicants for U.S. refugee admission are interviewed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The FBI conducts a security name-check on those Iraqis approved for refugee status. According to a review recently conducted by our embassy in Riyadh, of the 533 Iraqi ex-military accepted by the United States this year, 453 deserted inside Iraq and never went to Kuwait. Almost all had participated in the uprising and feared retribution for their actions. The other 80 were ethnic or religious minorities such as Kurds and Christians who deserted in either Kuwait or Saudi Arabia. None were soldiers loyal to Saddam Hussein.

This country has derived strength from ethnic and religious diversity. All evidence indicates that the unfortunate Iraqis whom we admit do have a strong claim to our traditions of tolerance and generosity. Having encouraged their opposition to a ruthless dictator, we have an obligation to keep faith with them.