European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 10, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 3saudi Camp face dilemma returning Home May be the Only option for Many by Luke Britt Middle East Bureau Rafha saudi Arabia a refugees from Southern Iraq May spend the rest of their lives in the saudi desert if they opt not to return Home according to a . Representative. More than 21,000 refugees from two Camps in Southern Iraq were moved this week to a Camp in Rafha where they Hope to be offered political Asylum in a third country. However no country seems remotely interested in offering the refugees a Chance to resettle said Santiago Romero Deputy representative for the United nations High commissioner for refugees. A i done to think resettlement is in the stars for these people a Romero said wednesday from new York in a Telephone interview. A their Best option is to  the . Organization is the Only International group dedicated to solving refugee crises Romero said. The organization was instrumental in bringing kurdish and iraqi leaders together to negotiate for the Safe return of the 2.5 million refugees who fled to Turkey and Iran after the the failed rebellion in Northern Iraq. /. A a Days after the first images of hungry kurdish children appeared on television the head of the organization visited kurdish refugee Sites in Turkey Romero said but a representative of the organization has yet to see the. Refugees in the South. A for us they Are not so much of a problem anymore a Romero said. A they already have Asylum in saudi Arabi which is the first and most important step.�?�. But what saudi Arabia has provided for the refugees is far Short of what Many of them expected. So much so that some decided to take their chances in Iraq and 100 Miles 100 pm Rafha a saudi Arabia returned Home Only Days after arriving at the Camp in Northern saudi Arabia. The saudi Camp located 18 Miles from Rafha is Only accessible by crossing Miles of rugged Road and deep Sand. The Rufu gees live in tents and Are not allowed to leave the Camp a except to return to Iraq. And although food and water arc being provided they say their saudi military caretakers Are not very sympathetic. Refugees said they came to saudi Arabia because they believed the . Organization would be on hand to take their applications for political Asylum in a third country. They were surprised when told no country had offered to resettle them. On april 18, the United nations and the iraqi government signed a 21-Point agreement that enabled the United nations to work with refugees throughout Iraq. Romero would not say Why his organization did not go to the Camps and advise the people before they left Rafha of their chances for political Asylum outside of saudi Arabia. Before the organization can help the refugees Romero said a country must kurdish refugees evacuated a kurdish refugee family tries to hang on to their possessions after being flown to Zakhoo Iraq by a . Military helicopter this week. Thousands of kurd arc leaving Remote Camps and hideaways for areas in Northern Iraq under Allied control. Offer to accept them. He said the group would assist if any country showed interest but he said no lobbying would take place on the refugees behalf. Saudi officials have not imposed any time limit on How Long the refugees can stay in the Camp at Rafha and in fact have said they Are planning to build a permanent Camp with medical educational and recreational facilities. However saudi Arabia has no intention of letting the refugees leave the Camps and integrate into saudi society Romero said. Going Home therefore appears to be their Only practical option at this time. A the kurd Are negotiating with the iraqi government and we understand several Hundred thousand refugees in Iran want to repatriate a Romero said. A and that is with the same Saddam Hussein in Power that the Rafha refugees Are afraid  Many of the refugees said they would like to see a representative of the organization and have someone plead their Case with the United nations before making any decision about returning to Iraq. A maybe they done to know about us a said Abdul Ahmad Al Hassan a former City employee in Basra Iraq. A someone should come Here and see. Maybe they done to  Tornado rips hard hit Dhaka Bangladesh apr a third Tornado swept through a trading town thursday killing at least 13 people in the latest of a Swift series of natural calamities that have tortured Bangladesh. A a. About 100 people were injured several mud huts were destroyed and Many other Homes were extensively damaged in the Tornado that hit Siraj gang about 65 Miles Northwest of Dhaka United news of Bangladesh said. At least 13 were killed the Agency said but gave no further details. On wednesday eight people were killed and about 100 injured in a twister that struck a farming Village just a. Mile Southeast of the devastation left by a Tornado a Day earlier. Officials said 45 people died in the tuesday Tornado. Houses in eight villages were flattened by wednesdays tempest which also toppled Trees and electricity pylons in and around the town of Horas Al about 10 Miles North of the capital the daily it Tefas said. Meanwhile a heavy downpour and 60 Mph winds in Dhaka disrupted Relief flights for survivors of a killer Cyclone that struck april 30. A this was the strongest wind Speed of this year in the Bangladesh capital a weather Bureau official said. . Shuts Kur Cuish checkpoint to Speed return of refugees Zakhoo Iraq apr american soldiers shut the biggest kurdish guerrilla checkpoint in occupied Iraq on thursday in a sign of growing impatience with kurdish leaders for not cooperating with moving refugees from the mountains. The allies also said they had received assurances from a representative of Saddam Hussein that iraqi troops would avoid shooting incidents like the firing of anti aircraft guns at a . Navy plane Early wednesday. Iraq however rejected a .-backed proposal thursday for a . Police Force in Northern Iraq . Secretary general Javier Perez de Cuellar said. Perez de Cuellar said he had received Saddam a rejection of the proposal a by special envoy shortly before his morning meeting in Washington with president Bush. Bush declined to answer questions following the . Leaders comments at a White House picture taking session. Iraqi and Allied troops continued their standoff at Dozhuk the main kurdish City in Northern Iraq. The standoff has prevented expansion of the safety zone created to encourage hundreds of thousands of refugees to return to their Homeland from spartan Camps along the turkish Border. Backed by three helicopter gunships . Army military police in a dozen humvee drove to the guerrilla checkpoint just outside Zakhoo and ordered it dismantled. The kurdish fighters left. A the rules Are no armed iraqis and no armed kurd and no iraqi checkpoints and no kurdish checkpoints a said col. Lucious Delk commander of the military police. Allied officers have criticized the checkpoints for interfering with the return of kurdish refugees. They say the roadblocks Are a cover for kurdish guerrillas to extort Money and Rob refugees. However the officers said they were heartened that local kurdish guerrilla leaders had met for the first time with a High iraqi officer to discuss reducing tension. Participants at the meeting wednesday night said both sides agreed to try to form a joint police Force for the Security zone. A the kurd so meeting with Brig. Gen. Nushan Dan Oun Saddam a Liaison with coalition forces in Northern Iraq came after the general met with Allied officers to give assurances iraqi troops would avoid such incidents. It was not Clear if Nushan admitted the iraqis had fired at the plane. Officials in Baghdad denied iraqi forces had anything to do with the attack. Around Dozhuk 25 Miles from the turkish Border some iraqi observation posts had been beefed up and there were signs other troops had moved in South of the City army maj. William Gawthrop said. He said the iraqis might be Quot flexing their Muscles in an attempt to halt expansion of the occupation zone into Dozhuk Home to Many refugees. . Forces arrived sunday on the outskirts of the City but did not attempt to move Forward to Challenge the iraqis. Thousands of kurd who fied Dozhuk Are refusing to come Down from Border Camps unless Allied troops take control of their cite