Readout of Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Benjamin Rhodes' Meeting with Iraqi Chaldean and Assyrian Community Leaders

Deputy National Security Advisor Benjamin Rhodes today met with Iraqi Chaldean and Assyrian community leaders to discuss the security situation in Iraq and its effect on Christian and other minority populations. Mr. Rhodes appreciated hearing the vital perspectives of these important communities regarding the difficulties facing Iraq's Christians. He condemned the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIL) ongoing attacks on the Christian and minority communities in northern Iraq and the group's systematic destruction of religious sites. He emphasized that the United States continues to urge Iraq's leaders to form an inclusive government that can address the rights and legitimate concerns of all of Iraq's diverse communities, including Iraq's Christians — only then can Iraq successfully and sustainably confront the security and humanitarian challenges all of its citizens face in the common fight against ISIL. He noted that we encourage government officials in Baghdad and Erbil to take all possible measures to assist Iraq's vulnerable populations, and agreed that this issue demands the continued attention of the international community. The United States remains committed to helping all of Iraq's diverse communities, including Christians, Sabean-Mandaeans, Shabak, and Yezidis.