Former British Foreign Secretary to head large US federal refugee contractor—the IRC

Update March 28th:   The salary issue is a big deal for readers, here.

The International Rescue Committee, one of nine US refugee resettlement contractors (second largest in terms of number of refugees it resettles) is hiring David Miliband, one of the last of the so-called Blairites to oversee its multi-million dollar operation headquartered in New York City.  The present chairman, former President of Columbia University, Charles Rupp will pass the reins (and presumably the huge salary* he receives) to Miliband in September.

New President of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband

Here is the IRC’s press release (Miliband is also a global-warming-is-destroying-the-planet believer! Climate refugees here we come!):

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) today announced the appointment of David Miliband, 47, former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, as its president and CEO, effective September this year. He will succeed George Rupp, who has led the global humanitarian relief and development organization since stepping down as president of Columbia University in 2002.

Over the last 15 years, Miliband has had a distinguished political career in the United Kingdom. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the youngest U.K. Foreign Secretary in three decades, driving advancements in human rights and representing the United Kingdom throughout the world. In 2006, as U.K. Secretary of State for the Environment, he spearheaded the groundbreaking Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill, establishing the world’s first legally binding framework for reducing carbon emissions.

[….]

“David is an experienced world leader and a man of both action and character,” Rupp said, “as his record as Foreign Secretary — including his work for conflict resolution in the former Yugoslavia, his leadership in calling for a political settlement in Afghanistan, and his drive for education reform in Pakistan and human rights in Sri Lanka — attests. His insights, ability and commitment will be tremendous assets. I look forward to witnessing this next exciting chapter of the IRC’s incredible journey of helping the most desperate people move from harm to home.”

Read it all.  There is a big smooch from Bill Clinton near the end.

Miliband is the eldest son of Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband (here at wikipedia) and here the UK Daily Mail gives us some juicy bits of information on the politician who is quitting politics (ha! ha!) for a “dream job” running a charity.  In fact, in his new job Miliband will have a larger world stage on which to be a politician and have a huge salary from the US taxpayer to boot! (Take that brother Ed!).   Indeed, the IRC is one of those NGOs (non-governmental organizations) mucking around in world affairs behind the scenes (CIA?) and they get to do it hiding under a ‘white hat’ humanitarian cover.

This is going to be fun to watch!

Photo:  The photo of Miliband is one of many at the UK Daily Mail story on Miliband’s dream job, so please go read the story!

* Huge salary I mentioned most recently here in December:

The IRC (which wants your nursing services for free) is a $431 million dollar organization which gets $247 million from YOU, the taxpayer (page 9 of their most recent Form 990, here).  And, guess where you have to go to find out the salaries being paid at the IRC?  Page 254 of their 299-page Form 990.  George Rupp, their head honcho makes a cool $447,432 in salary and benefits which beats Obama’s $400,000 salary!

Syrians flooding into Lebanon bring instability and job competition, so much for Muslim charity

Here is a story from last week that I never got around to mentioning (thanks to a reader for sending it).  Lebanon is being overwhelmed by the arrival of Syrian refugees and anger and resentment is growing among the Lebanese.  What!  I thought Muslims were the most welcoming people in the world (that’s what the UN told us, here).

Before I get to the story, check out this map of Syria and its neighbors.  Do you know who isn’t taking any refugees?  Uber-wealthy Saudi Arabia, as we learned recently, is the fifth most-desired destination for would-be migrants following, the US, the UK, Canada and France, but has closed its door to refugees.  The UN never criticizes Saudi Arabia for wanting to keep their country wealthy and for their own kind of people.  And, I bet all those Muslims (29 million!) who want to live in S.A. believed the myth about Islamic charity too!

Syrians are flowing to Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, but not wealthy Saudi Arabia

Stories like this one at the Los Angeles Times will be used to soften you up for when the refugee advocates begin clamoring (probably in May!) for you to “welcome” some nice Syrians to your towns and cities.

TRIPOLI, Lebanon — Khaled Naaman doesn’t hide his disdain for the Syrian government, a widely shared sentiment in this northern Lebanese city, where many harbor dark memories of Damascus’ years of military occupation.

His impoverished neighborhood, Bab Tabbaneh, stands as a bastion of support for Syrian rebels seeking to oust President Bashar Assad; their tricolor banner flutters from buildings and is spray-painted on walls. The district has also welcomed multitudes of refugees seeking to escape the Syrian conflict.

But now after almost two years of a steady influx of displaced Syrians, Naaman and other Lebanese citizens in Bab Tabbaneh are growing weary. Many blame the newcomers for shrinking wages and job opportunities and increasing rents and prices for groceries, car repairs and necessities.

“Syrians are everywhere and they are taking jobs,” said Naaman, a grizzled native of Tripoli in his mid-40s who ekes out a living selling vegetables, having retired from his position as a right-hand man for a now-deceased leader of one of this city’s many militias.

The anger vented by Naaman and others is indicative of a growing unease across Lebanon about the steady stream of refugees, who they fear may destabilize Lebanon’s brittle political and social balance.

Each day, as many as 1,000 Syrians enter Lebanon, a nation of 4.5 million people wedged between Syria, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon, about a quarter the size of Switzerland, sits astride some of the Middle East’s most volatile sectarian and ethnic fault lines.

More than 400,000 Syrians have fled to Lebanon since the uprising began two years ago, authorities say, adding to a sizable Syrian population already here.

Unlike in Turkey, Jordan and Iraq, other major destinations for Syrian refugees, there are no formal camps in Lebanon. Lebanese leaders are loath to go that route, recalling how semiautonomous Palestinian enclaves helped detonate the Lebanese civil war, a sectarian bloodletting that lasted from 1975 to 1990 and left about 150,000 dead and much of the country in ruins. The Syrian military entered Lebanon in 1976 and didn’t exit until 2005, after allegations it was involved in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

There is more, read it all.

Go here for our archive on Syrian refugees (so far!).