LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
October 22/06

 

Biblical Reading For today
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12,8-12.
I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say.
For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say

 

 

Latest New from miscellaneous sources for October 22/06

Catholic Patriarchs: political instability prompts Christians to ...AsiaNews.it

Hezbollah escalates attack on Siniora-Ya Libnan

Analysis: Israelis mull Arab peace talks-United Press International - USA

Lebanon's Hezbollah Marks Jerusalem Day-Washington Post

Israeli planes steering clear of Lebanon -France-Reuters

Lebanese PM asks for more Arab support-People's Daily Online

KRCS continues to convey Kuwait's humanitarian message in Lebanon-Kuwait News Agency

Iraqis Displaced by War, UN Says-Los Angeles Times

First Sate Reconstruction Aid Handed Out in Southern Lebanon-Naharnet

Lebanese government starts distributing aid to south Lebanon-Monsters and Critics.com

 

The Rise and Fall of Michel Aoun

By: Charles Jalkh (Freedom Fighter)

October 22/06

For 15 years, he carried the flame of Free Lebanon, and inspired a generation of Lebanese freedom fighters in Lebanon and throughout the Diaspora, into steadfastness and resistance to the Syrian hegemony over Lebanon. Michel Aoun rode the waves on an ancient, powerful, and deep rooted Lebanese nationalist stream coupled with secular yearnings for a modern, liberal, and compassionate society.

 That was history, today, the “Aoun generation” who fought valiantly, with broken bones and bloodied noses, is orphaned, but it is neither homeless nor aimless. All Free Lebanese are still at home with the March 14 Cedars Revolution. It is our nationalistic melting pot, our awakening, our fragrant bouquet of people brought together by their yearning for freedom and dignified living.

 All illusions have fallen! The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) which originally attracted nationalists with its fervor for independence, and the intelligentsia with its progressive and secular ideals, has become more than a disappointment. The intelligentsia is today deeply troubled by Aoun’s alliance with a fundamentalist militia and a state within the state. The Battle for free Lebanon is not finished as declared by Michel Aoun, but it is close. It will conclude soon with Lebanon’s total victory over the Syrian Stalinist Dictatorship.  When freedom remains static, it is overrun by the darkness and dies. So the light of our Freedoms must penetrate all the dark alleys of the Middle East. We will achieve strategic security only when the satanic Syrian Assad regime is overthrown and replaced by a democratic and humane Syria. The regime leaders shall imminently be brought to justice at the International Court for their (continuing) crimes against humanity. Until then, we remain fearless, proud, and cheerful, for we are today more united, more Lebanese, and mightier than ever. The battle for Free Lebanon shall be won and very soon.

 We are thankful to the world for its awakening, its actions, its resolve. We are thankful to Europe who swiftly moved to seal the Eastern Mediterranean against terror, with air, sea, and land forces under Security Council resolution 1701. The next phase is to expand this security zone eastward cutting through a collapsing Syrian regime, all the way to the Iraqi Western border. A new Syrian regime will mean cutting both Hezbollah’s and Iraq’s western insurgent’s logistical lifelines, thus helping to stabilize both Lebanon and Iraq.  As to the theory that Aoun’s alliance with Hezbollah meant to protect the Christian Lebanese from the regional Sunni-Shia struggle, it is factually and morally bankrupt. The struggle in Lebanon is not between the Sunnis and Shiites, rather it is between Free Lebanon and the Syria-Iran occupation. Throughout history, the Christians have been the “Avant Garde” of Free Lebanon. They never stayed on the sidelines when it pertained to Lebanon’s independence and freedoms. Today they are thrilled and honored to unite with the Sunnis, Druze, as well as large segments of the Lebanese Shiites and all other Lebanese ethnic and religious groups, to defend Free Lebanon. A Great Nation is being established.  Michel Aoun’s 180 degree turn is equivalent to a grandiose and historical act of thievery. He hijacked our Lebanese votes and surrendered them to the Syrian regime. This will be remembered for a long time. Where is the honor in letting your co-citizens be slaughtered by a barbaric regime from the Middle Ages? The victim is not any one or more ethnic group, the victim is every Lebanese citizen regardless of religious or ethnic background. We are all threatened existentially by the Axis of Evil.  The FPM members of parliament have one last historical chance to save face. Come back to the Cedars Revolution immediately, or fall down in our national history to its bottom of insignificance.

Catholic Patriarchs: political instability prompts Christians to migrate from East
The leaders of the Mid-Eastern Churches reiterated a unique feature of their communities as a connection between Christianity and Islam. They called on the Muslim world to firmly condemn terrorism that harms Islam itself above all else.
Beriut (AsiaNews) – Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient have drawn attention to the need to combat political instability and its impact on economic, security and social levels, as well as psychological and moral alienation, all fundamental causes of the emigration of Christians from the East. The dwindling presence of Christians in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and the entire region, was at the heart of the sixteenth assembly of Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient, which was held at the seat of the Armenian Catholic patriarchate in Bzommar. The meeting ended yesterday.
Dedicated to the “Church and earth”, the assembly upheld a significant feature of the eastern Churches, namely that they are a connection between Christianity and Islam, saying that this link, which makes dialogue possible, should not be broken. Lebanon “remains a source of hope”, they continued, and it “must play an effective role” in the construction of the East as a place open to co-existence. In a statement issued at the close of the meeting, they said: “Our message is in the first place that of safeguarding co-existence in the face of aggravating conflict of cultures and religions”.
In the final document, expressing solidarity with their faithful in other countries of the region, the leaders of the Catholic Churches of the Orient exhorted “Muslim organizations to vigorously condemn terrorist actions committed, at times, in the name of the Muslim faith.” They added: “We know that the true Islam and the Koran are innocent of any violence. These actions do not only harm Islam, but they also destroy co-existence that has been there for so many generations, especially in Iraq.”
The leaders of the Churches of the Orient expressed hope that the “Lebanese will unify ranks and work together in rebuilding what has been destroyed in order to regain their normal life.” And turning to the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, it urged the two peoples “to deploy all efforts to reach a fair and lasting peace."During their conference, the patriarchs also approved, in principle, the establishment of a human rights observatory in the Middle East and renewed their backing for audio-visual means of communication for the Church.
The meeting gathered the following patriarchs: Maronite, Nasrallah Sfeir, Greek-Melchite, Gregory III Laham, Coptic, Antonios Nagib, Syrian-Catholic, Boutros VIII Abdel Ahad, Latin of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, Chaldean, Emmanuel III Delly, as well as the host, the Armenian Catholic patriarch, Narsis Bedros XIX.

Hezbollah escalates attack on Siniora
Saturday, 21 October, 2006
Beirut- Hezbollah deputy Mohammed Raad slammed Lebanon's prime minister Fouad Siniora as a U.S. protégé, while the group's second-in-command stressed the need to face up to "American attempts to capitalize" on Israel's defeat in this summer's war. "The Americans have (President) Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan, and Fouad Siniora in Lebanon," Raad said in an interview with Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV channel late Friday. "The more the American stand was supportive of Siniora's government, the more the gap between us ( Hezbollah- Siniora's cabinet) is broadened," Raad warned. Karzai is the first post-Taliban president in Afghanistan who came to power in 2002 with U.S. backing. Mocking Siniora, Raad said that Hezbollah "will wait and see the diplomatic tears (shed) on friendly states in order to acquire Shebaa Farms … and how will Siniora's tears be cashed in exchange for the vast (financial) aid."Siniora broke down in tears as he appealed to Arab foreign ministers not to allow Lebanon to remain a conflict zone and a "punch bag" for Israel just a few days before the Aug. 14 war between Hezbollah and the Jewish state ended.
When Israel withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation, the U.N.-drawn international line did not put the Shebaa Farms area in Lebanese territory, but in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967, and later annexed. The Lebanese have disputed this ruling, and Israel and Hezbollah have clashed in the territory since the pullout. Under the August 14 ceasefire, the U.N. agreed to review the line. Meanwhile, Hezbollah's deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem emphasized the need to protect Lebanon from what has been known as the new Middle East, a policy generated by U.S. President George Bush's administration during this summer's Israeli- Hezbollah war to promote peace, democracy and human rights in the region. "We should face American attempts to capitalize on (Israel's) ugly defeat," Qassem told Hezbollah supporters gathering to mark "Jerusalem Day" at UNESCO Palace in Beirut on Friday.
"We must protect Lebanon from their (U.S.) new Middle East." Qassem reiterated his call for the formation of a national unity cabinet, adding that it is a "serious option it's useless to try to avoid." Qassem said that Hezbollah wants "real, not imaginary, representation" in the government. "We are partners, and that must be acknowledged in a legal manner." Hezbollah, with two ministers in the cabinet of the ruling anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, wants the inclusion of other political groups in government, particularly that of its Christian ally General Michel Aoun -- a move opposed by the majority.
Parliamentary majority chief Saad Hariri last month rejected any change in the makeup of the cabinet following a similar call by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for a government of national unity. Nasrallah's statement was seen as an apparent bid to turn the popular acclaim his fighters won in their 34-day summer conflict with Israel into greater political power at the national level.
Berri opposed to toppling of Siniora's cabinet
Lebanon's speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah is opposed to toppling of the government of Fouad Siniora unless a "consensus" was reached.
"I have strong reservations against toppling the government before reaching a consensus on the next cabinet in order to avoid a political vacuum," Berri was quoted by An-Nahar daily on Thursday. Picture: Hezbollah supporters wave Hezbollah flags during a rally to mark 'Al-Quds Day,' Jerusalem Day, next to the Fatima Gate bordering Lebanon and Israel, in the southern town of Kfar Kila, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 20, 2006. The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan as 'Al-Quds Day
Source: Naharnet , AP, Ya Libnan

Analysis: Israelis mull Arab peace talks
By JOSHUA BRILLIANT
UPI Israel Correspondent
TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- In an interview with al-Arabiya satellite TV this week, Nabih Berry, speaker of Lebanese Parliament, advocated peace talks with Israel. "Lebanon can liberate its remaining occupied land through the resistance, as it did in the past, but it can achieve that through peace ... if it is a comprehensive peace that includes the whole region," he said. It is time to return to the peace initiative that all the Arab leaders accepted in 2002, Berri added. Never mind that Israel says there is no territorial dispute with Lebanon, that the United Nations confirmed Israel completed its withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2002. The dispute over the Shebaa Farms, that Israel says it captured from Syria and that Lebanon claims as its own, can be resolved. The note-worthy element is that Monday Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert publicly invited Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora "to meet me directly, and not through intermediaries, to conclude peace." On Tuesday, the Parliament's speaker advocated talks.
In the Lebanese political system, the president is always a Christian; the prime minister is always a Muslim-Sunni, and the Parliament's speaker a Muslim-Shiite. Berri thus holds the top political position a Muslim-Shiite can reach. Right after the war, on Aug. 30, Prime Minister Siniora refused to meet Olmert. "Lebanon will be the last Arab country to sign peace with Israel," Siniora declared. He may have changed his mind.
The Israeli Yediot Aharonot newspaper Friday quoted an unnamed "senior Lebanese source" as saying Siniora is under a "web of pressures ... but in closed meetings he has already spoken in favor of negotiations." A senior Israeli government official, who spoke to United Press International on condition of anonymity, noted Berri is not authorized to negotiate with Israel, holds no executive powers, and the Lebanese government should negotiate. However, Berri's statements "contribute towards a positive public opinion. It creates a political climate."
Olmert said Thursday that Berri's comments were "interesting" and the prime minister's spokeswoman Miri Eisin told UPI Olmert is willing to meet anybody whom the Lebanese government would authorize. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni maintained the Lebanon war changed the rules of the game there and Berri's statement reflects that. The war seems to have done more than that. Moderate Arab regimes have become increasingly concerned over extremist elements and the threat of the Muslim-Shiite Iran. Tehran is Israel's archenemy and Arab moderates seem to be developing more contacts with Israel. Olmert recently met a very senior Saudi official in Jordan and Livni has been invited to a conference in Qatar.
In an interview published Thursday in bitterlemons.org, Nawaf Obaid, managing director of the Saudi National Security Assessment Project, noted that the war in Lebanon and developments in Iraq have heightened Saudi leaders' concerns that the regional situation, "is spinning completely out of control."
Palestine has always been a major rallying point for all the Arab peoples, he noted. "The idea was that the only way to move forward was to try again with this (Arab peace) initiative to obtain some kind of permanent ceasefire," Obaid said. The Saudis fear that if there is no settlement, "the situation will spiral more and more out of control, Hamas and others will become more extreme and violence and potential war will be inevitable," Obaid added.
And where was Berri last weekend? In Saudi Arabia.
The Arab peace initiative to which he referred roughly offers Israel full peace for a full withdrawal from the territories it occupied during the 1967 War.
However, the initiative that the Arabs leaders adopted at their summit meeting in Beirut in 2002 does not answer Israel's concerns.
It offers Israel "normal relations" and security, but a senior Israeli official noted it does not recognize Israel's right to exist. "It is very difficult to bypass this ... Israel cannot compromise with an element that refuses to recognize it," he said. The co-editor of bitterlemons.org, Yossi Alpher, noted the plan insists on an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 boundaries, "without even alluding to the possibility of border alterations as reflected in U.N. Security Council Resolution 242." It does not allow for land swaps or meet Israel's demand that the border with Syria reflect the 1949 armistice lines, drawn in the negotiations that ended the first Arab-Israel War. After that war, Syria seized some areas, especially the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and it seeks an Israeli withdrawal from there as well.
The Arab plan carefully avoids demanding a "right of return" for Palestinian refugees but the next four Arab resolutions reaffirmed precisely that claim that is anathema to Israel, Alpher noted. If the refugees return to Israel, the Palestinians will become a majority and Israel will cease being a Jewish state.
Alpher suggested that Saudi King Abdullah, who initiated the peace plan, follow Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Jordan's King Hussein and "come to Jerusalem to present his initiative." Sadat said he had come to the Knesset because he realized he had to break a psychological barrier, and he did. Alpher said that if King Abdullah were to come, "the effect on Israeli public opinion would be electrifying."

Lebanon's Hezbollah Marks Jerusalem Day
By JOSEPH PANOSSIAN
The Associated Press
Friday, October 20, 2006; 7:46 PM
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- In past years, the Shiite militant group Hezbollah marked Jerusalem Day by staging massive military parades in Lebanon's capital to demonstrate the importance of the holy city to Muslims.
But this year's event on Friday was a more subdued affair. Instead of thousands of guerrillas marching in uniform, the invitation-only event in a concert hall featured an orchestra, a choir and several anti-Israel speeches.
Hezbollah supporters wave Hezbollah flags during a rally to mark 'Al-Quds Day,' Jerusalem Day, next to the Fatima Gate bordering Lebanon and Israel, in the southern town of Kfar Kila, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 20, 2006. In 1981, the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan as "Al-Quds Day," a day of protest to show the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims. Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam after the Saudi Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari) (Mohammed Zaatari - AP)
Hezbollah's leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, the keynote speaker at last year's parade, was noticeably absent Friday. His deputy filled in, telling the hundreds of supporters in the hall that Hezbollah would not give up its fight against Israel.
Hezbollah fought Israel for 34 days over the summer in a conflict that left about 1,000 people dead. Hezbollah said it did not feel the need to organize a mass rally this year for Jerusalem Day after hundreds of thousands of supporters took to the streets on Sept. 22 for a "victory" rally in bombed-out southern Beirut. Nasrallah spoke there, his only public appearance since the fighting with Israel began. Hezbollah claims it defeated Israel in the conflict that ended Aug. 14 with a U.N.-brokered cease-fire. "The (September) rally was an expression of the historic victory, and the masses of people who came from the various Lebanese regions reaffirmed their support of the victorious resistance. And because of this exceptional effort made by the masses ... we decided to replace the central (Jerusalem Day) rally with political festivities," Hezbollah said in a statement faxed to The Associated Press.
Jerusalem Day began in 1981 when the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan a day to demonstrate the importance of Jerusalem to Muslims. Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque is the third holiest site in Islam after the Saudi Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina.
While Beirut had no demonstrations Friday, millions staged pro-Jerusalem rallies in Iran and thousands in other Muslim countries.
Elsewhere in Lebanon, hundreds of people carried yellow Hezbollah flags through the streets of the southern town of Kfar Kila. But Lebanese troops stopped the demonstrators from getting too close to the Israeli border. Protesters also demonstrated in at least two Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, including the largest, Ein el-Hilweh, where many marchers wore military fatigues and masks. In neighboring Syria, some 3,000 people carrying Hezbollah, Palestinian and Syrian flags marched through the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus. Many chanted anti-American and anti-Israel slogans. Some carried banners reading: "Our struggle with Israel is a struggle with existence and not of borders."

Israeli planes steering clear of Lebanon -France
20 Oct 2006 -UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - After years of regular Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace, there has been a 48-hour pause in warplanes flying over Lebanon, French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on Friday.
The French cabinet minister told a news conference at U.N. headquarters that the Israeli air incursions were "extremely dangerous" and should stop permanently.The French commander of the U.N. force in southern Lebanon has warned that that peacekeepers may at some point resort to force to prevent the Israeli overflights. To do so, however, would require the United Nations to rewrite the rules of engagement for its troops, Major-General Alain Pellegrini told reporters. U.N. officials said no such move was under way. Alliot-Marie said the French peacekeeping contingent in southern Lebanon, while equipped with anti-aircraft missiles, could use these weapons only in self-defense. But an Israeli aircraft might mistakenly be seen by U.N. troops as having a hostile intent, possibly triggering "a very serious incident," she said. In addition, the violations weaken the U.N. resolution underpinning the Aug. 14 cease-fire that ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah, she said. The violations "might be used as a pretext for some people to ignore the resolution's requirements," she said. "That is why it seems necessary for us that these violations stop now."
Commanders in the field had just reported that no Israeli aircraft had flown into Lebanese airspace for the past 48 hours, she said.
The Lebanese government and the U.N. force in southern Lebanon say these flights violate the cease-fire resolution and file daily reports to the United Nations on the incidents. Israel has said the flights were necessary to help ensure that arms are not smuggled into southern Lebanon from Syria to resupply Hezbollah.

Lebanese PM asks for more Arab support
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Tuesday that Lebanon needs more Arab support to treat the effects of the Israeli aggression, expressing hope for a successful conference in Paris. Addressing the opening of the Arab League (AL) Economic and Social Council's exceptional session, Siniora thanked Arab states for their donations after the war, but said: "We want our (Arab) brothers to give renewed and concrete support, to cover all needs of the public and private sectors and to overcome an ordeal that has been going on for three decades." He also called for a quick infusion of Arab funds to enable Lebanon to recover from the 34-day Israeli offensive against Hezbollah in July and August, and the civil war of 1975-90. Tuesday's AL session came a day after France agreed to hold an international donor conference for Lebanese reconstruction in next January. After the opening of the meeting, Siniora told reporters that he had no doubt about the intentions of Arab leaders in helping Lebanon, asserting that he would execute the best necessary reforms to guarantee the best use of available resources and aid to improve the performance of the Lebanese economy.
"Lebanon needs the support of friendly countries around the world to treat the results of years of wars and aggressions," the premier added.
He expressed hope that French President Jacques Chirac would play a strong role in encouraging many countries to participate in the Paris conference on January 15. Lebanon was devastated by Israel's month-long war on Hezbollah that caused more than 3.5 billion U.S. dollars of damage.
In August, donor nations pledged 940 million dollars in emergency aid to help rebuild smashed infrastructure, shelter the homeless and remove unexploded ordnance. Source: Xinhua

KRCS continues to convey Kuwait''s humanitarian message in Lebanon
PPL-LEBANON-KUWAIT-AID
KRCS continues to convey Kuwait's humanitarian message in Lebanon
By Omar Halabi (with photos) BEIRUT, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society (KRCS) mission to Lebanon and Kuwaiti volunteers have relentlessly continued their humanitarian efforts during the holy month of Ramadan to alleviate the suffering of those who were affected by the recent Israeli war on Lebanon. By intensifying their humanitarian work with orphans during Ramadan "KRCS wanted to convey a message of love from Kuwaiti children to Lebanon's children, " Head of KRCS mission, Mousaad Al-Enzy, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). The Kuwaiti humanitarian society distributed school supplies for children in need, especially orphans, so they could go back to school fully prepared, he added, noting that entertainment programs were also organized for the children. In addition to 5,000 tons of humanitarian aid that arrived in Lebanon from Kuwait, the KRCS has rented several bakeries in various parts of Lebanon to distribute free bread among people in need during Ramadan, he said.
The KRCS mission would also distribute during the Eid (feast marking end of Ramadan) gifts among hospitals patients who were injured in the recent Israeli war on Lebanon, he added. Al-Enzy pointed out that Kuwaiti volunteers in Lebanon have persistently continued to convey the State of Kuwait's humanitarian message which highlighted solidarity and support for Lebanese people.
The General Director of the Lebanese Zakat (Alms) Fund, Zohair Kebbah, lauded the State of Kuwait's humanitarian agencies' efforts in Lebanon, especially during the month of Ramadan. Kebbah noted that the fund has given out 1,000 meals to orphans sponsored by the Kuwaiti Zakat House and other Kuwaiti organizations. (end) oh. First Sate Reconstruction Aid Handed Out in Southern Lebanon
Lebanon began distributing the first state aid for rebuilding the south of the country on Saturday, more than two months after the end of the Israeli offensive. An official handed villagers the first 40 cheques totaling 400 million Lebanese pounds (270,000 dollars), with a total of around 600 million dollars thought to be needed to rebuild homes in the devastated south. "This is the first reconstruction aid handed out in southern Lebanon," said regional council chief Kabalan Kabalan at a press conference in the southern town of Jenata. Owners of entirely destroyed houses receive 40,000 dollars, with compensation for lesser damage awarded according to an official assessment. Kabalan said assessment teams counted more than 12,000 homes entirely destroyed, 1,255 partially destroyed and 73,000 damaged. After a U.N.-brokered truce halted the Israel-Hizbullah fighting on August 14, official efforts to rebuild the country were quickly overtaken by a Hizbullah reconstruction drive and private or foreign initiatives.
Jihad al-Bina, the group's humanitarian arm, pledged up to 12,000 dollars per destroyed home and rapidly began to distribute aid based on the level of damage.Damage throughout the country is thought to amount to more than 3.5 billion dollars.(AFP-Naharnet) (AFP photo shows workers installing prefabricated housing units in the southern village of Aitaroun) Beirut, 21 Oct 06, 17:45

 

Congresswoman Esho Calls Attention to Iraq's Endangered Christians in Letter to Rice
GMT 10-20-2006 14:3:52
Assyrian International News Agency
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(AINA) -- Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo, House representative of the 14th district in California, has sent a letter to Secretary of State Rice, calling attention to the perilous and dire situation of Iraq's Christian Assyrian (also known as Chaldean and Syriac) population. The letter highlights the mounting violence and persecution of the Christians of Iraq and asks Secretary Rice to report on the concrete steps that have been taken to protect Iraq's indigenous population
Here follows the letter:
Congress of the Unites States
House of Representatives
Washington D.C. 20515
Anna G. Eshoo
Fourteenth District
California October 19, 2006
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Rice,
I'm writing to express me deepest concern about the escalating crises facing the indigenous Christian population of Iraq.
I continue to receive many troubling reports indicating that the basic development needs of Iraqi indigenous Christian communities have been hampered by misallocations of funding on the ground in Iraq and a general lack of security. Recent reports in the media have confirmed that in the three years since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime Iraqi Christians have been a prime target of extremist violence, prompting the exodus of hundreds of thousands of native Iraqi Christian from their homes. This is a highly alarming trend, and unless action is taken now to address the pressing needs of these groups, we will likely witness the complete loss of the Iraqi indigenous Christian community, a community that has survived in the region for 2,000 years.
In July 2005, the House of Representatives sought to address these concerns by unanimously passing an amendment I offered to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2006-2007. My amendment calls on the State Department and all relevant U.S. agencies to devote special attention to the needs of indigenous Christian groups in Iraq. Since its passage I've seen little evidence to indicate progress has been made empowering this community, while I continue to hear reports of Iraqi Christians being targets of kidnappings, bombings, assassinations and other unspeakable acts of violence due to their religious practices and beliefs.
This issue s of the highest personal importance to Me. If a fully functioning and sustainable democracy is to emerge in Iraq, the basic rights, needs, and security of all minority groups must be defended. I ask that you provide an update on the State Department's efforts to address the needs of the imperiled Iraqi Christian population, and urge you to devote your fullest resources toward ensuring that all individuals in Iraq, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic background, are given the tools they need to succeed in establishing a fully functioning and sustainable democracy.
Thank your for your attention to this critical issue and I look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
Anna G. Eshoo
Member of Congress
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