That this House notes that the Kurdistan Region President Barzani has condemned every killing or targeting of Christians and that he has offered Christian students in Mosul places in universities in Kurdistan so that they can complete their studies; concurs with the recent statement from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, following two delegations which focused on this issue and which met leading Christians in the Region, that commended the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) for its generosity in welcoming Christians and protecting their position; further notes that many Christians in Iraq have fled to the Kurdistan Region where Christians are valued, with the KRG financing the rebuilding of Christian villages and churches, providing financial support for some 11,000 Christian families displaced because of violence in the south, official support for armed Christian guards in some rural communities, special and generous representation of minorities in parliament and governorate councils, an additional 5,000 housing units in 100 Christian villages in the Dohuk province, the provision since 1998 of 62 Syriac and Armenian primary secondary schools with 7,000 pupils and 10 secondary schools as well as a planned Syriac department of the University of Dohuk; and believes that claims of KRG involvement in the killing and displacement of Christians in Mosul in 2008 have been credibly refuted by the International Crisis Group and Human Rights Watch.

That this House notes that the Kurdistan Region President Barzani has condemned every killing or targeting of Christians and that he has offered Christian students in Mosul places in universities in Kurdistan so that they can complete their studies; concurs with the recent statement from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on...

That this House is deeply concerned by the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians, which has decimated much of Iraq's ancient Assyrian-Chaldean community; notes that the Assyrian-Chaldeans make up over 95 per cent. of Iraq's Christians and that this exodus has largely been caused by escalating violence against Christians from fanatical extremists, including the bombing of churches and the assassination of Iraqi Christians; further notes that there has been illegal expropriation of Assyrian-Chaldean land and villages in Dohuk province and the Nineveh Plain in northern Iraq; recognises that Iraqi Christians are a major force for moderation, who can act as a significant buffer against the spread of extremism in Iraq; calls on the British and Iraqi governments urgently to encourage and support the creation of self-governing province in Iraq for the Assyrian-Chaldeans, linked to the central government in Baghdad, situated in and around the Nineveh Plain and including Tel Kaif, Al-Hamdaniya and Al-Shikhan districts, and governed by the Assyrian-Chaldeans and other ethnic groups living in that area, as these lands form part of the ancestral homeland of the Assyrian-Chaldeans and are still heavily populated by them; and urges the UK and Iraqi governments to support financially the reconstruction of the region, to end the political marginalisation of the democratically elected Assyrian-Chaldean representatives in Iraq, to assist the Assyrian-Chaldeans in reclaiming their land and villages in Dohuk province and the Nineveh Plain, and to financially support internally displaced Assyrian-Chaldeans and the return and resettlement of Assyrian-Chaldean refugees.

That this House is deeply concerned by the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians, which has decimated much of Iraq's ancient Assyrian-Chaldean community; notes that the Assyrian-Chaldeans make up over 95 per cent. of Iraq's Christians and that this exodus has largely been caused by escalating violence against Christians from fanatical...

That this House is deeply concerned by the targeted assassinations of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq, in September and October 2008, which killed at least 14 Iraqi Christians and displaced over 2,000 families from that city; notes that a Washington Times news report dated 26 October 2008 stated that on 17 October 2008 Iraqi security forces arrested six men in connection with the killings of Christians in Mosul and found that four of them had links with Kurdish Regional militia, not al-Qa'ida; further notes that the Kurdish Regional Government and its militia are dominated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party and that on 29 October 2008, Gulf News reported that investigations had been completed, and proved the involvement of Kurdish militias in the displacement and killing of Christians, a claim which was re-stated by Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri Al Maliki during a discussion with Iraqi lawmakers, according to Osama Al Nojaifi, a deputy in the Iraqi pariament; and, in view of such serious and widespread allegations, urges Her Majesty's Government to press the Iraqi government to fully investigate these allegations and publicly to announce all the investigation's conclusions.

That this House is deeply concerned by the targeted assassinations of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq, in September and October 2008, which killed at least 14 Iraqi Christians and displaced over 2,000 families from that city; notes that a Washington Times news report dated 26 October 2008 stated that on...

That this House recognises the bravery, dedication and sacrifice of members of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq; applauds the recent review and enhancement of the Armed Forces' Compensation Scheme; and calls on the Government to amend the qualifying date of 6 April 2005 to 1 January 2001, which marks the beginning of the war on terror, that ensures equality of treatment for personnel injured in Iraq and Afghanistan and thereby honours its duty of care to this loyal and dignified group of service men and women and their families.

That this House recognises the bravery, dedication and sacrifice of members of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq; applauds the recent review and enhancement of the Armed Forces' Compensation Scheme; and calls on the Government to amend the qualifying date of 6 April 2005 to 1 January 2001, which...

That this House warmly welcomes the participation of the Kurdistan Regional Government and its Prime Minister's Advisor on Sustainable Development and Agriculture, Dr Anwar Abdullah at the World Fruit and Vegetable Expo in London on 21 and 22 October 2009; believes that this will be a good opportunity to showcase Kurdistan's agricultural potential, including fruit of unique tastes and quality such as apples, grapes, pomegranates, figs, and tomatoes, as well as first-class honey; notes that the region is part of the historic fount of world agriculture; and expresses its hope that, with British and other trade and investment, the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq will be able to rebuild, after decades of deliberate destruction and neglect, their full agricultural potential.

That this House warmly welcomes the participation of the Kurdistan Regional Government and its Prime Minister's Advisor on Sustainable Development and Agriculture, Dr Anwar Abdullah at the World Fruit and Vegetable Expo in London on 21 and 22 October 2009; believes that this will be a good opportunity to showcase...

That this House is deeply concerned by the targeted assassinations of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq, in September and October 2008, which killed at least 14 Iraqi Christians and displaced over 2,000 Christian families from that city; notes that a Washington Times news report dated 26 October 2008, stated that on 17 October 2008 Iraqi security forces arrested six men in connection with the killings of Christians in Mosul and found that four of them had links to the Kurdish Regional Government militia, not Al Qaeda; further notes that the Kurdish Regional Government and its militia are dominated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party and that on 29 October 2008 Gulf News reported that investigations had been completed, and proved the involvement of Kurdish militias in the displacement and killing of Christians, a claim which was re-stated by Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki during a discussion with Iraqi lawmakers, according to Osama Al Nojaifi, a deputy in the Iraqi parliament; and, in view of such serious and widespread allegations, urges Her Majesty's Government to press the Iraqi government to fully investigate these allegations and publicly to announce all the investigation's conclusions.

That this House is deeply concerned by the targeted assassinations of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq, in September and October 2008, which killed at least 14 Iraqi Christians and displaced over 2,000 Christian families from that city; notes that a Washington Times news report dated 26 October 2008, stated that...

That this House warmly welcomes home the last of the British armed forces from Iraq; notes with great sadness the loss of 179 personnel with many others wounded or traumatised; and congratulates the UK's servicemen and women involved in the conflict on an excellent job and thanks them wholeheartedly.

That this House warmly welcomes home the last of the British armed forces from Iraq; notes with great sadness the loss of 179 personnel with many others wounded or traumatised; and congratulates the UK's servicemen and women involved in the conflict on an excellent job and thanks them wholeheartedly.

That this House is deeply concerned by the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians, which has decimated much of Iraq's ancient Assyrian-Chaldean community; notes that the Assyrian-Chaldeans make up over 95 per cent. of Iraq's Christians and that this exodus has largely been caused by escalating violence against Christians from fanatical extremists, including the bombing of churches and the assassination of Iraqi Christians; further notes that there has been illegal expropriation of Assyrian-Chaldean land and villages in Dohuk province and the Nineveh Plain in northern Iraq; recognises that Iraqi Christians are a major force for moderation, who can act as a significant buffer against the spread of extremism in Iraq; calls on the British and Iraqi governments urgently to encourage and support the creation of a self-governing province in Iraq for the Assyrian-Chaldeans, linked to the central government in Baghdad, situated in and around the Nineveh Plain and including the Tel Kaif, Al-Hamdaniya and Al-Shikhan districts, and governed by the Assyrian-Chaldeans and other ethnic groups living in that area, as these lands form part of the ancestral homeland of the Assyrian-Chaldeans and are still heavily populated by them; and urges the United Kingdom and Iraqi governments to support financially the reconstruction of the region, to end the political marginalisation of the democratically-elected Assyrian-Chaldean representatives in Iraq, to assist the Assyrian-Chaldeans in reclaiming their land and villages in Dohuk province and the Nineveh Plain, and to financially support internally displaced Assyrian-Chaldeans and the return and resettlement of Assyrian-Chaldean refugees.

That this House is deeply concerned by the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians, which has decimated much of Iraq's ancient Assyrian-Chaldean community; notes that the Assyrian-Chaldeans make up over 95 per cent. of Iraq's Christians and that this exodus has largely been caused by escalating violence against Christians from fanatical...

That this House is concerned that the failure to honour promises made after the First World War to the Assyrians and Kurdish minority communities on autonomy, the creation of a centralised Iraq in 1932 without provision for the security of minorities, the recent war of 2003 which led to the rise of fundamentalism, and the ethnic cleansing of the Mandaeans and Assyrian-Chaldeo-Syriacs in Basra, Baghdad and Mosul, place a special responsibility on the Government to these minorities; calls on the Government to therefore take a sympathetic attitude to asylum claims from these minorities; and urges the Government to learn from past mistakes and to use its influence in a robust way on the government of Iraq to ensure the safety of the aforementioned minorities as well as of Yezidis, Faili Kurds and Shabaks, so that a dishonourable withdrawal from Iraq is avoided.

That this House is concerned that the failure to honour promises made after the First World War to the Assyrians and Kurdish minority communities on autonomy, the creation of a centralised Iraq in 1932 without provision for the security of minorities, the recent war of 2003 which led to the...

That this House expresses the hope that the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States will lead to the commencement, as soon as is practically possible, of a safe, phased, withdrawal of US troops from Iraq; and further expresses the hope that this will lead to a similar withdrawal of British troops from that country.

That this House expresses the hope that the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States will lead to the commencement, as soon as is practically possible, of a safe, phased, withdrawal of US troops from Iraq; and further expresses the hope that this will lead to a...

That this House, recalling the Baha Musa case and other cases of alleged abuse and degrading treatment, calls for a root and branch independent inquiry into the way that detainees apprehended during active operations are treated by the armed forces.

That this House, recalling the Baha Musa case and other cases of alleged abuse and degrading treatment, calls for a root and branch independent inquiry into the way that detainees apprehended during active operations are treated by the armed forces.

That this House notes the recent Labour Friends of Iraq delegation to Baghdad as guests of the Islamic Dawa Party to meet the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, his advisers, the Defence Minister, the trade unions, a women's rights group, the head of the Commission for Public Integrity and others; and believes that such engagements should be encouraged more widely along with trade, investment and a wide variety of exchanges for mutual benefit.

That this House notes the recent Labour Friends of Iraq delegation to Baghdad as guests of the Islamic Dawa Party to meet the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, his advisers, the Defence Minister, the trade unions, a women's rights group, the head of the Commission for Public Integrity and others;...

That this House notes that the Supreme Criminal Court of Iraq has reached its verdict on the Anfal Campaign, declaring it to be a mass killing, a genocide, against the Kurdish people; and calls on the international community to respect the Court's decision and recognise the mass killing of Kurds as genocide.

That this House notes that the Supreme Criminal Court of Iraq has reached its verdict on the Anfal Campaign, declaring it to be a mass killing, a genocide, against the Kurdish people; and calls on the international community to respect the Court's decision and recognise the mass killing of Kurds...

That this House welcomes the current exhibition by Kurdish artist Mr Osman Amed on the Anfal genocide at the Imperial War Museum; and urges the Government to recognise Saddam Hussein's killing of Kurdish people in Iraq during the period 1987 to 1988, including the Anfal campaign and the Halabja chemical attack, as an act of genocide.

That this House welcomes the current exhibition by Kurdish artist Mr Osman Amed on the Anfal genocide at the Imperial War Museum; and urges the Government to recognise Saddam Hussein's killing of Kurdish people in Iraq during the period 1987 to 1988, including the Anfal campaign and the Halabja chemical...

That this House is appalled at the corruption, waste and theft associated with the US occupation of Iraq; takes note of the BBC Panorama programme of 10th June which disclosed that there are currently over 70 whistleblower cases involving $23 billion about which the US Justice Department has issued gagging orders; sympathises with the US public at the corruption and waste facilitated, tolerated and covered-up by the Bush Administration; and further notes that there has been much more waste and theft of Iraqi resources which, reasonably, the US should pay back.

That this House is appalled at the corruption, waste and theft associated with the US occupation of Iraq; takes note of the BBC Panorama programme of 10th June which disclosed that there are currently over 70 whistleblower cases involving $23 billion about which the US Justice Department has issued gagging...

That this House opposes Turkish military operations in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq; joins the federal Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in urging Turkey to end its violation of Iraqi sovereignty by immediately withdrawing its military forces; deplores the terrorist campaign of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which does not enjoy any support from the KRG which has taken significant steps to restrict the PKK's ability to act inside the region; notes that Turkey has sought a military solution to the PKK problem for 24 years; believes that the problem can only be solved through dialogue and diplomacy; and encourages all concerned for the political stability of Iraq to support the call for immediate four-party talks between Washington, Ankara, Baghdad and Erbil to solve this issue.

That this House opposes Turkish military operations in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq; joins the federal Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in urging Turkey to end its violation of Iraqi sovereignty by immediately withdrawing its military forces; deplores the terrorist campaign of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)...

That this House warmly welcomes the visit to the UK, as guests of the Trades Union Congress and assisted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of a senior delegation for several transport unions in Iraq and the Kurdistan region in Iraq including a briefing meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on 20th February in the Thatcher Room; notes that the participants Mr Hussain Jasim Almohammed, Vice President of the Transport and Communication Workers Union, Mr Turki Lazm Jbara, President of the All Ports Workers' Union, Mrs Slafa Mahmood Mohammed, Member of the Baghdad Railway Workers' Union Committee and Mr Essmat Khalid Saleem, President of the Transport Workers' Union in Duhok will visit different parts of the UK; and urges increased support for the Iraqi trade union movement in its efforts to unite working people.

That this House warmly welcomes the visit to the UK, as guests of the Trades Union Congress and assisted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of a senior delegation for several transport unions in Iraq and the Kurdistan region in Iraq including a briefing meeting from 6 p.m. to 8...

That this House notes that in recent months there have been over 60 recorded murders of women carried out by extremist and reactionary forces and criminal gangs, under various social, religious and political motives and pretexts in the Basra area; fears that the figure may be even higher because the families of victims are often reluctant or too frightened to report these horrific crimes; supports the campaign launched by the Iraqi Women's League to highlight the plight of Iraqi women and to mobilise public opinion, exert pressure and intensify efforts to stop these inhuman and barbaric acts as well as allowing the voice of Iraqi women, rejecting all forms of exploitation and abuse of dignity, to be heard by the world; endorses their demands for an international fact-finding mission to Iraq, to be organised by the UN High Commission for Human Rights with the participation of international human rights organisations, to investigate the crimes against women, help the Iraqi authorities to identify the perpetrators and work to stop these crimes; further notes that the Kurdistan National Assembly has passed legislation to outlaw violence against women; and hopes that the Iraqi Parliament could follow suit.

That this House notes that in recent months there have been over 60 recorded murders of women carried out by extremist and reactionary forces and criminal gangs, under various social, religious and political motives and pretexts in the Basra area; fears that the figure may be even higher because the...

That this House regrets the decision to refuse a work permit for the purposes of joining Manchester City to Iraqi footballer Nashat Akram, who played a major role in the Iraqi national squad's victory in the recent Asia Cup, on the grounds that, at 72nd in the international rankings, Iraq falls just outside the basket of 70 teams from which such candidates can be considered; notes that football is a great unifying force in Iraq and that Nashat's transfer to a major league team would also do much to boost the sport in Iraq; further notes the judgement of Manchester City Manager Sven-G??ran Eriksson, that Nashat is a very good footballer with an excellent pedigree; and urges that consideration be given to the Iraqi Government request to revise this decision in the light of the fact that Iraqi football needs nurturing after several decades of fascist-type rule by the Ba'athists which isolated and hampered Iraqi football.

That this House regrets the decision to refuse a work permit for the purposes of joining Manchester City to Iraqi footballer Nashat Akram, who played a major role in the Iraqi national squad's victory in the recent Asia Cup, on the grounds that, at 72nd in the international rankings, Iraq...

That this House is concerned by the exponential growth of private military and security companies (PMSCs) since the invasion of Iraq; is disturbed by the substantial rise of reported incidents of civilian killings and human rights abuses by PMSC guards in Iraq who remain unregulated and unaccountable; further notes that problems posed by proliferation of PMSCs were highlighted in a Green Paper in February 2002 that originated in a request from the Foreign Affairs Committee but that, six years later, there is still no United Kingdom legislation regulating PMSCs; believes that self-regulation by the industry is not appropriate in this instance; and urges the Government to bring forward legislative proposals for the control of the PMSC sector as an urgent priority.

That this House is concerned by the exponential growth of private military and security companies (PMSCs) since the invasion of Iraq; is disturbed by the substantial rise of reported incidents of civilian killings and human rights abuses by PMSC guards in Iraq who remain unregulated and unaccountable; further notes that...