Iraq Tries To Curb Exodus Of Citizens

Iraq has doubled the fee its citizens must pay to leave the country, apparently trying to curb the exodus of Iraqis trying to flee poverty and hunger stemming from an international embargo,

Baghdad residents, reached by telephone from Amman, said Sunday the fee has been hiked to the equivalent of $167. They said it was doubled for the second time in two months.

The new fee is beyond the means of many people in Iraq, where the average monthly income equals $2.50.