Blasts target Iraq's Christian churches

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Assailants triggered a coordinated series of explosions outside five churches in Baghdad and Mosul during Sunday evening services, killing 11 people and wounding more than 50 in the first major assault on Iraq's Christian minority since the 15-month-old insurgency began.\nTwo explosions, just minutes apart, shook separate Baghdad churches in a largely Christian neighborhood during Sunday evening services, followed shortly by two more explosions at churches in other areas of the capital. A car bomb and grenade attack hit a church in Mosul at roughly the same time, Iraqi officials said.\nMany of the country's Christians had become increasingly concerned about the rising Islamic fundamentalism here and some had fled to neighboring countries to wait until the security and political situation calmed.\n"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."\nU.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.\n"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."\nU.S. military officials said at least one and possibly both of the blasts appeared to have come from booby trapped cars.\nThe 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.\nIn 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.\nThe bomb, inside a white Toyota, blew up about 7 p.m. just yards from the church, said Ghaleb Wadeea, a 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.\nA bridge in Mosul was also hit, Bowman said.\nInterior 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.\nAt 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.\nThe 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.\nStunned Iraqis ran away from the scene, holding their bleeding heads in their hands.\n"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.\nThe 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.\nThree 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.\nMassive 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.\nRelatives raced to search for loved ones.\nOne, Ron 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.\nNumbering 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. \nMost live in Baghdad and its outskirts and some dwell further to the north.\nThe 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.