Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in Iraq; and his views on the plight of members of the Christian churches in that country, many of whom have been displaced and had to flee their homes. [38399/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There has been a substantial improvement in security in Iraq over the past eighteen months, although the level of violence remains quite high. Control of security has now been returned to Iraqi forces in all but five of Iraq's eighteen provinces. A large part of the improvement has been the general subsidence of inter-community sectarian violence. It is a matter of particular concern, therefore, that the city of Mosul has seen a resurgence of sectarian violence in recent months, much of it directed at the ancient Chaldean and Assyrian Christian communities who live in the city and its hinterland.

The Chaldean Archbishop, Paulos Rahho, was kidnapped and later found dead in March 2008. It is possible he succumbed to poor health while in captivity, and his kidnapping may have been criminal rather than political in intent. More recently, however, there has been an upsurge of clearly sectarian attacks on Christian families and communities in Mosul through August and September. Many have been killed, houses and businesses have been destroyed, and over 12,000 are estimated to have fled the city for refuge in Christian villages in the surrounding plain.

Mosul has long been a particular flashpoint. It is regarded as the major remaining stronghold in Iraq of both former Baathist and Al-Qaeda linked insurgents. It is on the fringes of Kurdish controlled territory. It is home to very long established Christian and other minorities, such as Turcomen, and also to numbers of comparatively recently settled Shia from southern Iraq, who were forcibly resettled there by the former regime. And it is the centre of one of Iraq's major oilfields. No clear picture has emerged yet of which group may be behind these attacks, which may be linked to the question of political control after the anticipated withdrawal of US forces, and to current political debate about provincial boundaries and autonomy.

Christians and other minorities in Iraq have been especially vulnerable in the sectarian violence of recent years, since they have no area they control and to which they can flee. As a result, as many as half of the Iraqi Christian community may have fled the country, many to make new lives permanently in other countries. This is a tragedy which has befallen some of the most ancient Christian communities in the world.

The EU has in its contacts with the Iraqi Government stressed its responsibilities to protect all Iraqi citizens, and in particular vulnerable minorities. The Government has acknowledged this responsibility and pledged to make every effort to meet it. However, long term security for Iraq's minorities is likely to depend on the Government's success in combating violence as a whole.

I will be discussing the situation in Iraq with my EU colleagues at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 10 November, when I intend to raise this issue. It will be important for us to urge the Iraqi Government, beset as it is with many problems, to do everything it can to protect vulnerable groups.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 338: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in Afghanistan, particularly with reference to Pakistani and Afghan political and tribal leaders recently agreeing to establish contacts with the Taliban to end insurgencies in both countries as an outcome of a two-day meeting endorsed by the governments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. [38400/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am deeply concerned about the situation in Afghanistan. Very clear difficulties exist in the country in relation to security issues, human rights, governance and the rule of law, and narcotics. The security situation of course remains a particular cause for concern, including in areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

In this context, I welcome the meeting of Pakistan and Afghan political and tribal leaders to which the Deputy refers. The cross-border dimension is very important. The tribal meeting, or "mini-jirga", was held in Islamabad on 27th and 28th October, and was a follow-up to the larger "jirga" meeting held in Kabul in August 2007. Reports suggest that some fifty participants were involved, including government officials, representatives of political parties and members of the ethnic Pashtun tribes that straddle the Afghan-Pakistan border.

The holding of the "mini-jirga" reflects the recent improvement in relations between the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan which has been apparent since the election of President Zardari in Pakistan on 9th September — and which is highly significant and very much to be welcomed. The Foreign Ministers of the two countries also met in New York in September and reiterated their resolve to fight jointly extremist elements along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

We understand that the Taliban were not invited to the "jirga" but reports indicate that participants agreed to establish joint contacts, through the "jirga", with "the opposition" — understood to mean the Taliban. This could certainly involve risk, but the approach of trying to dissociate the many Taliban members who are not strongly ideological fundamentalists from their hardcore, militant, leadership — leaving the latter more vulnerable to defeat — may be a risk worth taking.

The situation along the border remains extremely difficult and it is extremely difficult for the Pakistani military to operate effectively within its own border areas. While it remains to be seen whether the new Afghan-Pakistan security cooperation will lead to significant gains against cross-border terrorism and the insurgency, I very much hope that the "mini jirga" initiative of the two neighbouring leaders will succeed in its objectives.