State Department Report: Religious Freedom Deteriorates in Iraq

Too bad the surge isn't going to help Iraqis live in land with religious freedom. Under Saddam Hussein Shiites were discriminated against. Now everyone is. But at least al Qaeda is on the run. Although, if a Shiite family member is murdered and their body dumped in a Sunni area, that family would also be murdered just for trying to identify the body (source: Anderson Cooper, 9-13-07):

Religious freedom has sharply deteriorated in Iraq over the past year because of both the insurgency and violence targeting specific faiths, despite the U.S. military buildup intended to improve security, says a State Department report to be released Friday.

The Annual Report on International Religious Freedom finds that all worshippers are targeted for attacks and the violence is not confined to the well-known rivalry between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

“The ongoing insurgency significantly harmed the ability of all religious believers to practice their faith,” says the 22-page executive summary of the report, obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its official release by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.