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BAGHDAD — The U.S. government has opened its first permanent office in Baghdad for Iraqi refugees seeking to settle in the United States, responding to criticism that the Bush administration has failed to help thousands of Iraqis whose lives are in danger because of their work with American organizations.
The office, which began interviewing applicants May 10, has already completed processing 80 embassy employees to leave, and the first two arrived in the U.S. this week, according to Ambassador James Foley. He said that 1,141 refugees were settled in the U.S. in May and that he believes the administration would reach its goal for this fiscal year of 12,000 by Oct. 1.
