U.S. expects 17,000 Iraqi refugees in 2009

BRUSSELS, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A top U.S. official said Friday in Brussels that the United States expects to admit 17,000 Iraqi refugees for resettlement in 2009.

Assistant Secretary of State Samuel Witten said after the meetings of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that the country received 13,823 Iraqi refugees for resettlement during fiscal 2008, which ended Sept., 30, KUNA, the Kuwait News Agency, reported Friday.

Witten said the government surpassed its goal of admitting 12,000 refugees in 2008.

He said the U.S. State Department had contributed a record $1.44 billion to aid refugees, conflict victims, stateless persons and vulnerable migrants the world over from October 2007 through September 2008.