NewsMax Wires
Monday, Aug. 2, 2004

Story Continues Below

  Many of the country's Christians had become increasingly concerned about the rising Islamic fundamentalism here and some had fled to neighboring country's to wait until the security and political situation became more calm.

"What are the Muslims doing? Does this mean that they want us out?" asked Brother Louis, a deacon at the Our Lady of Salvation, as he cried outside the Assyrian Catholic church. "Those people who commit these awful criminal acts have nothing to do with God. They will go to hell."

U.S. military officials in Baghdad's Karada neighborhood, where the first two churches were bombed, said they found a third bomb in front another church that had not exploded. Karada is home to many of the city's Christians and many of its churches.

"We were in the Mass and suddenly we heard a big boom, and I couldn't feel my body anymore, I didn't feel anything," said Marwan Saqiq, who was covered in blood. "I saw people taking me out with the wood and glass shattered everywhere."

U.S. military officials said at least one and possibly both of the blasts appeared to have come from booby trapped cars.

The explosions in Baghdad killed one person and wounded 27 others, according to the Health Ministry. The blasts in Mosul killed one and wounded 11, said police Maj. Fawaz Fanaan.

In Mosul, about 220 miles north of Baghdad, a car bomb blew up next to a Catholic church while worshippers were coming out of Mass, police Maj. Raed Abdel Basit said. Several rocket-propelled grenades were also launched at the church, Bowman said.

White Toyota

The bomb, inside a white Toyota, blew up about 7 p.m. just yards from the church, said Ghaleb Wadeea, 50-year-old engineer who lives next door. Debris from the exploded car were scattered about the site, with some hanging off a nearby electricity pylon.

A bridge in Mosul was also hit, Bowman said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sabah Kadhim said a total of four churches were hit in Baghdad, two in Karada, one in the Dora neighborhood and one in New Baghdad.

At the site of the two blasts in Karada, Iraqi police and National Guard cordoned off the area. Firefighters and emergency workers were battling fires and helping the wounded.

The first blast in Baghdad hit outside an Armenian church just 15 minutes into the evening service, witnesses said. The second blast hit the Assyrian Catholic church about 500 yards away.

Stunned Iraqis ran away from the scene, holding their bleeding heads in their hands.

"I saw injured women and children and men, the church's glass shattered everywhere. There's glass all over the floor," said Juliette Agob, who was inside the Armenian church during the first explosion.

The back wall of the Catholic church, where a bomb had been placed, was badly damaged, with bricks scattered about, revealing the graves from a cemetery behind the building. The bomb left a hole nine feet wide in the ground.

Three cars were in flames in front of the Armenian Church, colored glass was scattered across the ground. Four unexploded artillery shells were still visible inside the booby-trapped car.

Massive plumes of black smoke poured into the evening sky over the city and U.S. helicopter gunships circled above. Fire fighters and residents struggled with water hoses to put out the flames, which leapt from the front of a tan colored church.

Relatives raced to search for loved ones.

One, Roni George, was sitting on the ground weeping after failing to find his father, mother and two brothers who were at Mass inside one of the churches during the blast.

Numbering some 750,000, the minority Christians were already concerned about the growing tide of Islamic fundamentalism, so long repressed under Saddam Hussein. The majority of the Christians are Chaldean Roman Catholic, the rest Syrian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox and Assyrian. Most live in Baghdad and its outskirts and some dwell further to the north.

Islamic radicals have warned Christians running liquor stores to shut down their businesses, and have turned their sights on fashion stores and beauty salons. The increasing attention on this minority community has many within looking for a way out. Many are in neighboring Jordan and Syria waiting for the security situation to settle, while others have applied to leave the country.

© 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Editor's note: