Iraqi Christians in Peril Video

Christians in Peril (Part 1)






Christians in Peril (Part 2)

U.N.: More than half of Iraqi city's Christians have fled

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- More than half the Christian population has fled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in reaction to a campaign of killings and intimidation, according to the United Nations.

An estimated 13,000 Christians have left because of oppression the U.S. government blames on al Qaeda in Iraq.

Mosul, in Nineveh province, is one of the last Iraqi cities where al Qaeda in Iraq has a significant presence and routinely carries out attacks.

An estimated 2,300 families have fled Mosul this month, but the exodus has started to ebb, Nineveh province's Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran said Tuesday. No Christian family has left the city over the past seven days, and at least 100 families returned to their homes in and around Mosul during that time, Goran said.

Authorities said they believe Christian demonstrations earlier this month may have prompted the attacks. Hundreds of Christians took to the streets in Mosul and surrounding villages and towns demanding adequate representation on provincial councils, whose members will be chosen in local elections in January.

The violence that followed those protests left at least 14 Iraqi Christians dead and prompted the Iraqi government to dispatch more security forces to patrol the city. Violence has declined as a result, Iraqi officials said.

Last week, U.S. Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell said the anti-Christian attacks and threats are partly "due to elements of al Qaeda that still enjoy some ability to operate up there."

FULL STORY HERE