ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This report was researched and written by Hania Mufti, London director for the Middle East and North Africa division, and Peter Bouckaert, senior emergencies researcher for Human Rights Watch. Alison Parker, Human Rights Watch's refugee protection expert, reviewed the text and assisted with the recommendations.

We are grateful to the many displaced persons and families as well as Kurdish officials who met with them during their mission to Iraqi Kurdistan in September 2002. Human Rights Watch would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Peter Koski, Bridgeet Morris, Sarevenaz Madi, Priscilla Munoz, and Jess Rassler of the Stanford International Human Rights Association, who provided valuable legal research.

Joe Stork, Washington director for the Middle East and North Africa division, and Widney Brown, Human Rights Watch deputy program director, edited the report for publication. Wilder Tayler, legal and policy director, provided legal review. The report was prepared for publication by Human Rights Watch program coordinator Jonathan Horowitz, publications director Patrick Minges, and photo editor Veronica Matushaj.