Iraqi refugees trickle into U.S.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- A senior State Department official said the pace of Iraqi citizens accepted into the United States has risen since October, but remains below the goal.

James Foley, special coordinator for refugees from Iraq, said 375 Iraqis came to the United States in January with refugee status, but noted the acceptance rate makes the department's target "a tall order," Iraq's al-Sumaria said Tuesday.

Foley said at a news conference that "while we will not cross" the intended threshold "until some time in the spring" the agency will "continue to aim for 12,000 arrivals by the end of September."

The Washington Post Tuesday said Foley noted the 2.2 million Iraqi refugees living in Syria and Jordan create a "looming problem" for the region's economic outlook.

Foley also noted the State Department is developing a plan to admit as many as 5,000 Iraqis into the United States if they worked for at least a year for U.S. interests overseas as part of the 2008 defense authorization bill.