Some 8,000 Iraqis left Syria, Lebanon since the end of war

The office of the Shiite clergy in Damascus, Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim, said that the office helped in returning back so far 8,000 Iraqis from Syria and Lebanon since the end of the war against Iraq.

In a statement, the office said "it helped the Iraqis and transported them to Iraq in contributing to alleviate the sufferings of the Iraqi people." During the 45 passed days "some 165 buses transported around 8,000 Iraqis from Syria and Lebanon to various Iraqi cities."

The statement explained that there is no official figure for the number of the Iraqis in Syria. However, UN organizations sources said they estimate hundreds of thousands who came to Syria during the past 14 years, while this number is estimated by Iraqi opposition sources at half million.

Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim is the cousin of the chairman of the Higher Council Of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, Muhammad Baqer al-Hakim.