The mess we've left behind.

• Author: Carey, Bob
• Position: WORLD WATCHER

WITH THE WITHDRAWAL of its troops from Iraq, the U.S. government leaves behind a major crisis in the region--with 3,000,000 Iraqis displaced and desperate and tens of thousands of others in danger because they worked for the U.S. military. Many of these estimated 70,000--and their families--who toiled for America regularly are threatened, harassed, kidnapped, or killed. Religious, ethnic, and political minorities also are targeted with violence and persecution.

Critical U.S. programs that give sanctuary to these and other Iraqis are mired in bureaucratic delays. In 2008, Congress passed legislation that allowed for 20,000 expedited Special Immigrant Visas to be issued to endangered Iraqis by the end of 2011, but fewer than 3,000 have been allotted and thousands of applications are pending.

There is a significantly larger bottleneck when it comes to the processing of Iraqis through the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program. During the 2011 fiscal year, 9,388 Iraqi refugees were given protection in the U.S., compared with 18,016 the previous year. An already cumbersome and inefficient screening process has become crippled by new and often redundant security checks. As a result, many Iraqis in harm's way, including former employees of the U.S. who already had security clearances, are waiting a year or more to learn their fate. Rigorous screening is vital, but these delays are unacceptably long and put lives at risk.

While tens of thousands await resettlement, the majority of the uprooted prefer to stay in the region despite enormous challenges in rebuilding their lives. The United Nations estimates nearly 1,300,000 Iraqis are displaced inside Iraq and 1,600,000 refugees remain in nearby countries such as Syria and Jordan. All of them were driven from their communities by waves of combat and sectarian violence, and few are willing to venture home amid ongoing instability and persecution. Houses left vacant now am occupied by strangers and many am in disrepair, without electricity, potable water, and sanitation. Most of the displaced express hope that they can fully integrate into the locations where they currently live or move to new housing on land designated by the Iraqi government.

In the meantime, the uprooted languish in mostly urban slums, growing increasingly destitute. They have difficulty finding jobs, accessing basic services, or supporting their families. Out-of-school children suffer exploitation and years of lost learning. Inside the...