Some numbers
But there's some odd aspects to the movement of these refugees. Since they're mostly Sunni, it's reasonable that none are going to Iran, and equally reasonable that lots are going to Jordan. But some two-thirds of the 1.7 million Sunni Arabs who have fled the country have ended up in Syria. While Syria is largely Sunni Arab, the country is run by the Shia Alawites, who are close allies with Iran. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, which may be covertly backing some of the Sunni militias in Iraq, hasn't admitted any, at least officially. About half the 3.4 million Iraqi Sunni Arab refugees have fled to other parts of Iraq, and many are expected to eventually flee the country. |