Lack of U.S. planning foments Iraqi insecurity, says Chaldean rep

Published: 2008-04-09

ROME (CNS) -- The United States' lack of concrete plans to help Iraq and a weak Iraqi government only foment insecurity and push Iraqi citizens to flee the country, said the Chaldean Catholic Church's representative to the Vatican. "The United States and coalition troops are not showing they have any strategy for the future of this country, and this is another reason Iraqis are emigrating," Msgr. Philip Najim told the Italian Catholic agency SIR. Iraqis see no evidence of any concrete plans for the future of the country as evidenced by the lack of "schools, roads, hospitals, public services, infrastructure (and) security," he said in the agency's April 9 newsletter. "I ask myself where is the money that comes into Iraq for the oil, how are the proceeds handled; the people have a right to know," he said. In the face of continued violence and sectarian rivalries, "the (Iraqi) government can do nothing because it is weak; it is unable to guarantee security and respect human dignity," the Iraqi monsignor said.

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