Kurdistan’s par’l denounces attacks against Christians

ARBIL/IraqiNews.com : Kurdistan’s regional parliament on Wednesday denounced attacks against Christians in Mosul, calling for providing protection for minorities. “We denounced using terrorist force in resolving political issues,”Adnan al-Mufti, speaker for Kurdistan’s regional parliament, told IraqiNews.com. “It is a crime against humanity and agianst our Assyrian-Chaldean brothers,” al-Mufti noted. Waves of Christian families have fled the Iraqi city of Mosul after an upsurge of violence against them by armed groups. Thousands of people have sought refuge in outlying villages since last week after a dozen Christians were murdered.Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has vowed to protect the community. Meanwhile, Speaker deputy Kamal Kirkuki accused some of Mosul police forces of “collaborating with terrorists”, stressing “Christians and Kurds were exposed to a new genocide”. The Iraqi government has sent military reinforcement to assist the security forces in Ninewa in response to the new spates of attacks. Police have set up checkpoints at churches in Mosul’s four largely Christian areas and are patrolling the streets on foot, Iraqi army spokesman said A major operation by the security forces aimed at displacing gunmen has been under way for months in Mosul, which is considered by US and Iraqi commanders as the last urban stronghold of al-Qaeda in Iraq. AM(S) 1