Fatah thanks Sudan for agreeing to host Palestinians

August 31, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — A senior Fatah official thanked Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday for agreeing to host Palestinians stranded near the Syrian-Iraqi border, the state news agency said.

Unlike Iraqis, who are allowed to enter and settle in Syria, Palestinian residents of Iraq are mostly prevented from entering the country, leaving them stranded at the border.

Azam al-Ahmad’s visit to Sudan came a day after the official SUNA news agency said al-Bashir made his offer of support, although without specifying how many of the some 1,500 stranded Palestinians would be provided sanctuary. Many have been stuck in their desert encampments since December.

Syria seems reluctant to allow them in amid rising speculation that other Palestinians who live in war-torn Iraq might be encouraged to head to Syria. About 500,000 Palestinians and more than 1.5 million Iraqi refugees already live in Syria.

(AP)