[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S86-S87]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                      IRAQ'S RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

 Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I wrote to Secretary Rice on 
September 11, 2007, out of concern for Iraq's Christian and other non-
Muslim religious minorities who appear to be targeted by Sunni, Shiite, 
and Kurdish militants. The severe violations of religious freedom faced 
by members of these indigenous communities, and their potential 
extinction from their ancient homeland, is deeply alarming in light of 
our mission to bring freedom to the Iraqi people.
  In addition, such violence may be an indicator of greater sectarian 
violence. Such rising violence and the Iraqi internally displaced 
people and refugee crises potentially could serve as catalysts for 
wider regional instability. These crises demand an urgent response from 
our Government.
  On January 11, 2008, I received a response from the Department of 
State to the questions I posed in my letter. I ask to have my original 
letter and the response from the Department of State printed in the 
Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                               Washington, DC, September 11, 2007.
     Hon. Condoleezza Rice,
     Secretary, Department of State,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Rice: I am writing out of concern for Iraq's 
     Christian and other non-Muslim religious minorities, 
     including Catholic Chaldeans, Syriac Orthodox, Assyrian, 
     Armenian and Protestant Christians, as well as smaller Yazidi 
     and Sabean Mandaean communities. I know that the fate of 
     these communities was the subject of a recent letter to you 
     from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
       These communities appear to be targeted by Sunni, Shiite 
     and Kurdish militants. The U.N. High Commissioner for 
     Refugees reports that Christians, now less than 4 percent of 
     Iraq's population, make up 40 percent of its refugees. And 
     according to the United States Commission on International 
     Religious Freedom, ``violence against members of Iraq's 
     Christian community occurs throughout the country, and the 
     Commission has raised particular concern about reports from 
     Baghdad, Mosul, Basra, and the north Kurdish regions.''
       Such violence bespeaks a humanitarian crisis of grave 
     proportions. The severe violations of religious freedom faced 
     by members

[[Page S87]]

     of these indigenous communities, and their potential 
     extinction from their ancient homeland, is deeply alarming in 
     light of our mission to bring freedom to the Iraqi people. In 
     addition, such violence may be an indicator of greater 
     sectarian violence. Such rising sectarian violence and the 
     Iraqi internally displaced people and refugee crises 
     potentially could serve as catalysts for wider regional 
     instability. These crises demand an urgent response from our 
     government.
       In that regard. I request that you provide responses to the 
     following questions:
       (1) Is it the State Department's view that Iraq's Christian 
     and other non-Muslim minorities face particular threats 
     because of their religion? Do they face a level of threat and 
     abuse disproportionate to their representation in the Iraqi 
     population?
       (2) Has the State Department or our embassy in Baghdad 
     sought out members of these communities to inquire as to what 
     the United States could do to enhance their protection?
       (3) What steps, if any, has the State Department taken to 
     urge the Iraqi government to provide protection to Iraq's 
     Christian and other non-Muslim religious minorities?
       (4) Has the Iraqi government been responsive to requests 
     for such protection?
       (5) Do you have reason to believe that any Iraqi security 
     forces or other government forces or personnel are involved 
     in violence against such vulnerable populations?
       (6) What mechanisms are in place to ensure that U.S.-
     trained and equipped Iraqi Security Forces do not use U.S.-
     provided assistance for sectarian purposes?
       (7) What plans have the Agency for International 
     Development and State Department developed to increase 
     humanitarian assistance to Iraq's internally displaced?
       I thank you in advance for the consideration of these 
     questions, and I look forward to your prompt reply.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Barack Obama,
     United States Senator.
                                  ____



                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                Washington, DC., January 11, 2008.
     Hon. Barack Obama,
     U.S. Senate,
       Dear Senator Obama: Thank you for your letter regarding the 
     status of Iraq's religious minorities. We regret the delay in 
     sending you this response, but we wanted to provide you with 
     a reply that was both comprehensive and accurate.
       We share the concerns you express in your letter and assure 
     you the Department of State takes matters relating to the 
     safety of Iraq's ethnic and religious minorities very 
     seriously.
       Iraqis from all ethnic and religious communities suffer 
     from the sectarian and general violence in Iraq. While it is 
     true that in some cases religious minorities, such as 
     Christians, are targeted due to their religion, the threat to 
     Iraq's religious minorities is not unique to them; Shi'a in 
     Sunni majority areas face much the same situation, and vice 
     versa. In fact, Muslim citizens generally who do not support 
     the actions of militants within their region are subject to 
     similar threats. The assassination in Anbar of Sunni Sheikh 
     Abdul Sattar Bezia al-Rishawi, who rejected extremist 
     ideologies and sectarianism, and the murders of associates of 
     the Shi'a Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani are recent examples 
     of how violence impacts all of Iraq's communities, not just 
     Christians or other non-Muslims.
       Unfortunately, given the difficulty of compiling accurate 
     data in Iraq, it is not possible to determine through 
     statistical analysis whether violence against specific groups 
     is disproportionate to their representation in the 
     population. However, communities that are isolated or small 
     in number and that lack the means of providing for their own 
     protection are particularly at risk.
       The Department of State is coordinating closely with 
     several U.S. Government agencies, as well as the Government 
     of Iraq, religious leaders, and local ethnic and religious 
     organizations in Iraq, to help alleviate the plight of 
     minority groups. Moreover, the Embassy and Provincial 
     Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), together with Coalition Forces, 
     are working at the national and provincial level to help the 
     Iraqi Government provide the necessary protection and safety 
     for all of its citizens, including Iraqi religious 
     minorities. And the Government of Iraq continues to improve 
     its capacity and capability to improve the overall security 
     situation and, thereby, protect Iraq's minority communities. 
     We would also note that while we have seen reports of 
     violence against Iraqi non-Muslims, we have not seen evidence 
     showing these acts were part of an orchestrated effort by 
     Iraqi government forces.
       As part of our efforts to help improve the situation for 
     minority groups in Iraq, State Department and Embassy 
     officials meet regularly with representatives of Iraq's 
     ethnic and minority groups and raise their concerns with the 
     appropriate Iraqi Government officials at all levels. The 
     PRTs located in Ninewa province and the Kurdish region--areas 
     with large Christian and other non-Muslim communities--also 
     meet regularly with representatives from these communities 
     and work to ensure that their concerns are heard at the 
     provincial government level.
       The status of religious minorities in Iraq will become more 
     secure as groups representing them develop the capability to 
     advocate on their own behalf and participate actively in the 
     political system. To that end, U.S. Government-sponsored 
     programs offer assistance to such groups upon request in 
     areas such as conflict resolution, political party 
     development, and human rights. In conjunction with these 
     efforts, the U.S. Agency for International Development 
     (USAID) and the Department of State's Bureau of Population, 
     Refugees, and Migration (PRM) are supporting capacity-
     building programs for the Government of Iraq's Ministry of 
     Displacement and Migration at both the local and national 
     levels. While PRM focuses primarily on assisting refugees and 
     facilitating entry into the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program 
     for the most vulnerable Iraqi refugees, it coordinates its 
     programs with those of USAIP to ensure that as many 
     vulnerable Iraqis as possible receive essential services as 
     quickly as possible.
       USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) has 
     five implementing partner organizations presently working 
     with internally displaced persons (IDPs) in all 18 of Iraq's 
     provinces. For 2007, assistance has been targeted to reach 
     approximately 550,000 of the most vulnerable IDP 
     beneficiaries. OFDA plans to obligate an additional $26 
     million by December 31, 2007, and has requested an additional 
     $80 million for Iraqi IDP in FY 2008. USAID is also funding 
     humanitarian organizations to collect data on IDP movements 
     and needs to prioritize humanitarian assistance.
       USAID's understanding of the current breakdown in IDP 
     accommodation is that 56 percent are renting accommodations, 
     19 percent are living with host families, 25 percent are 
     living in abandoned buildings such as former military sites 
     (barracks, etc.), and less than one percent are living in 
     tented camps. This indicates that coping mechanis remain for 
     the majority of IDPs, although threats and vulnerabilities 
     still exist, including a continuing need for access to food 
     and potable water, adequate shelter and sanitation, and 
     health care and other social services. In addition, IDPs are 
     faced with border crossing closures; restrictions on their 
     abilities to register as IDPs, and the upcoming winter. USAID 
     is prepared to help IDPs respond to these vulnerabilities 
     with existing resources and partners, and plans to continue 
     responding with additional resources expected to be obligated 
     by the end of calendar year 2007.
       The Secretary of Defense could best address your question 
     about mechanisms to ensure that U.S.-trained and equipped 
     Iraqi Security Forces do not use U.S.-provided assistance for 
     sectarian purposes.
       We hope this information is helpful to you. Please do not 
     hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance on 
     this or any other matter.
           Sincerely,
                                               Jeffrey T. Bergner,
     Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs.

                          ____________________