Maliki says Christians entitled to all rights

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday said that Iraq’s Christians are original inhabitants of the country and are entitled to all rights that all Iraqi citizens enjoy. The remark was made during Maliki’s meeting with the French ambassador to Iraq, Jean- François Girault, according to a release issued by the premier’s media office. “Iraq’s Christians are our brothers and are original inhabitants of the country…The threats and acts of terrorism that have recently targeted them were committed by the terrorist al-Qaeda organization and the remnants of the former regime,” the statement, which was received by IraqiNews.com, quoted al-Maliki as saying. “Security forces and probe committees, which have been assigned to follow-up on the matter in Mosul, provided us with information that leads to the perpetrators and the bodies behind them,” the statement added. SS (P) 1