The US ambassador to Iraq will be summoned by Baghdad over remarks made by a US official about the removal of the head of the Christian Church in Iraq, the government said on Thursday.
Ambassador Alina Romanowski is to be called in after State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the treatment of Cardinal Louis Sako as harassment.
He said he was troubled by Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Rashid's decision to revoke a decree recognising the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, as head of the country's Christian Church.
“I will say we are disturbed by the harassment of Cardinal Sako ... and troubled by the news that he has left Baghdad,” Mr Miller said on Tuesday.
“We look forward to his safe return. The Iraqi Christian community is a vital part of Iraq’s identity and a central part of Iraq’s history of diversity and tolerance.”
Mr Rashid's office said the president was "disappointed by accusations levelled against the Iraqi government" by Mr Miller and would summon the ambassador.
On Saturday, Cardinal Sako said he would leave Baghdad and settle in the northern autonomous Kurdistan Region after an increase of tensions with a powerful Christian militia leader.
The decision on Cardinal Sako was "aimed at correcting a constitutional anomaly as presidents had no business recognising heads of religious establishments", the presidential statement said.
It said the move was not intended to undermine Cardinal Sako, who Mr Rashid said he respects.
On Monday, the Vatican embassy in Baghdad said it "regrets the misunderstandings and inappropriate dealings concerning the role of ... Cardinal Sako as the custodian of the properties of the Chaldean Church".
Cardinal Sako was one of the people who pushed for Pope Francis's historic visit to Iraq in 2021.
He has strong backing from the US and other western governments, which see him as a peacemaker in the war-torn country.
But he has been embroiled in a dispute with an Iran-backed, partly Christian militia in Iraq, the Babylon Brigades, led by Rayan Al Kildani. He has accused the group of being out of control and called on the government to protect Christian communities from its actions.
The Babylon Brigades group has been accused of looting homes and setting up checkpoints to extort residents in rural parts of northern Iraq's Nineveh province, which includes the city of Mosul.
It has been at loggerheads with a rival Christian militia, which is not linked to Iran, the Nineveh Plains Protection Units, and clashed with it on at least one occasion.
The US government imposed sanctions on Mr Al Kildani in 2019 over alleged human rights abuse during Iraq's 2014-17 battle against ISIS, including accusations of mutilating a prisoner held by his forces.
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
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Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Dir: David Leitch
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz
Four stars
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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New UK refugee system
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- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
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iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
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Apple Watch Series 4
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THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
