[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 MINORITIESMr. 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. ____________________