By PBS
by Martin Himel
The last of the American troops have left Iraq, just in time for Christmas. And with an eye toward next year’s election, President Obama is already touting this achievement. Of course, the debate has resumed about just what the United States accomplished there. Was the overthrow of Saddam Hussein worth the loss of almost 4,500 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives?
On this Christmas weekend, we focus on another aspect of the story: just what Saddam’s ouster has meant for Christians in that country. Since 2003, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled after a series of attacks by Muslim militants. It’s been reported that as many as 54 churches in Iraq have been bombed. And in some areas, it has been too risky to celebrate Christmas openly. Correspondent Martin Himel recently visited Baghdad. But our story starts in Canada. It contains graphic images.
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