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| Military action needed in Iraq to help Christians, archbishop says | Military action needed in Iraq to help Christians, archbishop says |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Christians in Iraq "do not have much time left" without direct military action on the ground, the Archbishop of Irbil has told UK peers and MPs. | Christians in Iraq "do not have much time left" without direct military action on the ground, the Archbishop of Irbil has told UK peers and MPs. |
| Archbishop Bashar Warda said air strikes were "not enough" to defeat Islamic State militants and "begged" for Western troops to be deployed. | |
| He said Iraq's Christian population was declining and that he would speak to the UK government about further action. | He said Iraq's Christian population was declining and that he would speak to the UK government about further action. |
| The government has said efforts to defeat IS were "comprehensive". | The government has said efforts to defeat IS were "comprehensive". |
| During a visit to London, Archbishop Warda, of the Catholic Chaldean Church, told the Westminster gathering Iraq's Christian communities had fallen "dramatically" over the last decade - from 1.4 million during the rule of Saddam Hussein. | During a visit to London, Archbishop Warda, of the Catholic Chaldean Church, told the Westminster gathering Iraq's Christian communities had fallen "dramatically" over the last decade - from 1.4 million during the rule of Saddam Hussein. |
| Tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians and Yazidis fled their homes in the summer of 2014 following warnings from IS militants to renounce their faith or face death. | Tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians and Yazidis fled their homes in the summer of 2014 following warnings from IS militants to renounce their faith or face death. |
| 'Powerful force' | 'Powerful force' |
| "We don't have much time left as Christians in this region," the archbishop told a gathering of cross-party MPs and peers. | "We don't have much time left as Christians in this region," the archbishop told a gathering of cross-party MPs and peers. |
| "As a Catholic I find it hard to say, but I want military action, there is no other way now." | "As a Catholic I find it hard to say, but I want military action, there is no other way now." |
| He is due to address the Church of England's ruling General Synod on Tuesday. | He is due to address the Church of England's ruling General Synod on Tuesday. |
| His speech comes after the Prince of Wales spoke of his "deep concern" for the suffering of Christian churches in the Middle East. | |
| Archbishop Warda called for the deployment of British troops on the ground to drive IS - known as Daesh in Arabic speaking countries - from the Christian villages of the Nineveh Plain, adding: "I beg you to focus on the need for military action. | Archbishop Warda called for the deployment of British troops on the ground to drive IS - known as Daesh in Arabic speaking countries - from the Christian villages of the Nineveh Plain, adding: "I beg you to focus on the need for military action. |
| "What we are seeing is worse for the world than what happened in Afghanistan, with more and more young people going to fight with Daesh. Military action is needed - powerful force - to get them out of our villages." | "What we are seeing is worse for the world than what happened in Afghanistan, with more and more young people going to fight with Daesh. Military action is needed - powerful force - to get them out of our villages." |
| He said Iraqi bishops from across the Christian denominations were in "continuous talks" with each other and with Christian politicians in Baghdad. | He said Iraqi bishops from across the Christian denominations were in "continuous talks" with each other and with Christian politicians in Baghdad. |
| 'A last resort' | 'A last resort' |
| He said they shared his view that the west should take military action - describing it as "an unfortunate solution", but one which was needed. | He said they shared his view that the west should take military action - describing it as "an unfortunate solution", but one which was needed. |
| Archbishop Warda said he was struggling to persuade Christian families not to leave the area. | Archbishop Warda said he was struggling to persuade Christian families not to leave the area. |
| Conservative Former Cabinet minister John Gummer, now Lord Deben, said the archbishop's speech was an example of the "desperate dilemma the Christian community of Iraq are now in". | Conservative Former Cabinet minister John Gummer, now Lord Deben, said the archbishop's speech was an example of the "desperate dilemma the Christian community of Iraq are now in". |
| "Having been subjected to war, they are now calling for it as a last resort," he told the BBC. | "Having been subjected to war, they are now calling for it as a last resort," he told the BBC. |
| Baroness Berridge, the Conservative peer and chairwoman of the all-party group on international religious freedom, said she was "shocked" to hear a Catholic Archbishop say military action was the only option. | Baroness Berridge, the Conservative peer and chairwoman of the all-party group on international religious freedom, said she was "shocked" to hear a Catholic Archbishop say military action was the only option. |
| "How bad, how evil this situation must be if this is the call of a Catholic archbishop," she added. | "How bad, how evil this situation must be if this is the call of a Catholic archbishop," she added. |
| The Rev Nizar Semaan, the London-based chaplain to Syrian Catholics in Britain, backed Archbishop Warda's call. | The Rev Nizar Semaan, the London-based chaplain to Syrian Catholics in Britain, backed Archbishop Warda's call. |
| Mr Senaan, an Iraqi from the Nineveh Plain, said: "Who is going to free our villages and towns? We do not believe in the Iraqi army or the Peshmerga. | Mr Senaan, an Iraqi from the Nineveh Plain, said: "Who is going to free our villages and towns? We do not believe in the Iraqi army or the Peshmerga. |
| "Britain should go and free our cities. In 2003, you didn't complete the job." | "Britain should go and free our cities. In 2003, you didn't complete the job." |
| 'Deeply concerned' | 'Deeply concerned' |
| However, Syrian Anglican, the Rev Nadim Nassar, told the meeting that "bullets will not solve the problem". | However, Syrian Anglican, the Rev Nadim Nassar, told the meeting that "bullets will not solve the problem". |
| It comes after a recent report by the Defence Select Committee said the UK's role in fighting IS extremists was "strikingly modest" and should be stepped up. | It comes after a recent report by the Defence Select Committee said the UK's role in fighting IS extremists was "strikingly modest" and should be stepped up. |
| The group of MPs said it was "surprised and deeply concerned" the UK was not doing more. | The group of MPs said it was "surprised and deeply concerned" the UK was not doing more. |
| In response to the report, a government spokesman said the international coalition was taking a "comprehensive approach" against IS, through air strikes and by tackling its sources of money and foreign fighters. | In response to the report, a government spokesman said the international coalition was taking a "comprehensive approach" against IS, through air strikes and by tackling its sources of money and foreign fighters. |
| The UK had carried out the second highest number of air strikes among coalition partners and helped to train Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga forces, the spokesman added. | The UK had carried out the second highest number of air strikes among coalition partners and helped to train Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga forces, the spokesman added. |