ASIA/IRAQ - “It is amazing to see that at the slightest signal of a return to normality, murderous hands are ready to strike causing death, destruction and terror” Father Nizar Semaan in Iraq tells Fides

Thursday, 12 February 2004

Baghdad (Fides Service)-“These crimes are the work of foreigners or Iraqis who are not patriots and do not want peace in their country” Father Nizar Semaan in Ninive, diocese told Fides expressing the grief and anger of the Christian community in Iraq after the latest terrorist attacks in Baghdad and Iskandariya (40 km south of Baghdad) in which more than 100 people were killed. “Iraqi Christians firmly condemn these crimes whether they strike Iraqis or troops of the international Coalition ” said Father Nizar. “These attacks aim to destabilise the already fragile situation. It is amazing to see that at the slightest signal of a return to normality murderous hands are ready to strike causing death, destruction and terror ”.
On Tuesday 10 February 50 people were killed by a car-bomb explosion in front of recruitment centre of the new Iraqi police force in Iskandariya. Less than 24 later an explosion in Baghdad killed another fifty young men in line to enlist as members of the new Iraqi army were killed and hundreds injured. “They are aiming at the very people meant to reinstall Iraqi sovereignty and their aim is to keep the country in chaos” said Father Nizar. “Nevertheless progress is being made. Mosul has again regular electricity and work has begun to repair public buildings and schools. In order to rationalise and accelerate the work of the maintenance team, the provisional authorities have distributed questionnaires to teachers asking them to indicate the most urgent needs”. “Iraq is trying with great difficulty to find a way out of chaos but security is still a problem”.
Iraq is arduously forming four new bodies of security forces: Police (67,000 men), Civil Defence (19,000), Protection Force (40,000) Border Police (9,000) as well as an army of about 40,000 men. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/2/2004, righe 30 parole 373 )


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