PRT NINEWA: CHRISTIANS ANXIETY RISE IN NINEWA IN

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002028 SIPDIS CABLE RECLASSIFIED AS SECRET E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PMIL IZ SUBJECT: PRT NINEWA: CHRISTIANS ANXIETY RISE IN NINEWA IN THE WAKE OF BOMBINGS BAGHDAD 00002028 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ninewa PRT Leader W. Patrick Murphy for reason 1.4 (b). This is a Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) message. ¶1. (C) Summary: In the early hours of 13 July 2009, a car bomb exploded in an alley between a Christian church and a Shi'a mosque in the Faisalia neighborhood of east Mosul. The explosion damaged both houses of worship, and killed three Iraqi citizens in nearby homes. According to local Christian leaders, some members of the Christian population in Ninewa are fearful of future attacks and question the future viability of their community in the province. In response to the attack, the Provincial Governor declared a neighborhood curfew, while Christian majority districts in the province utilized Iraqi Security Forces and local volunteers to bolster security and calm public fears. End summary. ¶2. (S) At 0517 on 13 July 2009, a stationary car bomb detonated in the al-Nasir neighborhood of east Mosul while a joint U.S. and Iraqi Police (IP) patrol was passing nearby. The explosion killed three Iraqi citizens and occurred in the vicinity of a Shi'a mosque and a Christian church. Although subsequent Coalition Force (CF) and Iraqi Security Force (ISF) assessments differed on the explosion's precise impact, it appears the mosque sustained more damage. Provincial Governor Alnujaifi told PRT Ninewa Team Leader on July 16 that perpetrators targeted both the Shi'a and the Christian house of worship. ¶3. (C) The attack appears to validate recent intelligence estimates suggesting that insurgents have shifted the focus of their attacks to minority communities in Ninewa. In response to the incident, Governor Alnujaifi imposed a limited curfew in the Mosul sub-district of Ba'asheqa and the districts of Tel Keif and Hamdaniya from 0600 on 13 July through 1400 on 14 July. ¶4. (C) Sa'ad Tanyous Jaji, the Christian minority representative to the Ninewa Provincial Council, told PRT member that the targeted church was the Church of the Virgin Mary Fatima, though the damage was only cosmetic. Mr. Jaji claimed that the recent attacks on churches in Baghdad and Mosul have left the Christian population in Ninewa on edge. The Christian population, he said, further believes that the attacks are designed to drive Christians out of Mosul, though no one is not sure who is responsible for the attacks. ¶5. (C) Tel Keif District Mayor Basim Bello told PRT member that he firmly believed that the church was not the primary target of the attack. Rather, he thought the target was the al-Husaniya Shi'a mosque, located across the street. Nonetheless, according to Mr. Bello, several members of the Christian community have received reports of threats against Christian population centers in Tel Keif and Hamdaniya districts. ¶6. (C) George Kako, a prominent Christian businessman from Bartalla and a frequent associate of the PRT, affirmed that the Christian population in Ninewa is scared. However, they are confident that the recent security measures implemented by district and sub-district mayors will be sufficient to protect them. According to Mr. Kako's sources, the Christian population believes that the motivation for attacking Christian communities in Ninewa may be partly due to the perception that Christian areas are among the safest and most peaceful in the province. ¶7. (C) In addition to the curfew imposed by Governor Alnujaifi, many Christian cities and villages have taken QAlnujaifi, many Christian cities and villages have taken additional precautions to prevent future attacks. A PRT move to Qara Qosh in Hamdaniya district on 14 July found the city guarded by Christian volunteers who were providing additional support to ISF checkpoints. Many of these guards have contracts with the Ministry of Interior and also protect churches within the city of Mosul. They expect additional attacks against churches throughout Iraq--including in Ninewa--in the near-term unless the Government of Iraq takes immediate action to condemn the attacks and increase protection of minority areas. ¶8. (C) Comment: Even if the target of the attack on 13 July in Mosul was not the Christian church, there is a perception among some observers that insurgents are seeking to destabilize Ninewa by increasing sectarian tensions. Christians see themselves as increasingly being used as pawns in the battle between Arab and Kurdish political parties and between the ISF and insurgents. While fear of alleged targeting of the Christian population in Ninewa may reflect conjecture, such fear may contribute to an ongoing exodus of one of the world's oldest Christian communities. End Comment. BAGHDAD 00002028 002.2 OF 002 FORD