Angelina Supports US Surge In Iraq

The Washington Post printed an op-ed piece by actress Angelina Jolie in which she stated that the reinforcement of U.S. troops in Iraq has created an opportunity for humanitarian programs to boost assistance for Iraqi refugees.

In "A reason to stay in Iraq", Jolie went on to detail the plight facing the country's refugees. As goodwill ambassador to the United Nations, Jolie toured Baghdad in early February to bring attention to the nation's refugee problem.

Jolie spoke with General David Petraeus, the American military commander in Iraq, who told the actress that he "would support new efforts to address the humanitarian crisis" as much as possible, something "which leaves me hopeful that more progress can be made," the actress wrote.

She also stated that, "It will be quite a while before Iraq is ready to absorb more than 4 million refugees and displaced people. But it is not too early to start working on solutions."