Trump signs bill to help minorities in Iraq, Syria
1,813 views · Published 16 December 2018 · 3:09 · Indexed 3 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(11 Dec 2018) President Donald Trump signed legislation Tuesday to provide humanitarian relief to religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria who were targeted for genocide by Islamic State militants in recent years. The Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act also will hold IS perpetrators accountable. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who introduced the legislation, said it will fund entities, including faith-based ones, that are providing humanitarian and other recovery aid on-the-ground. He said it also will support those conducting criminal investigations into allegations of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The measure also urges foreign governments to add identifying information about suspected IS perpetrators to national security databases to aid in their apprehension. Fewer than 200,000 Christians remain in Iraq _ down from 1.4 million in 2002 and 500,000 in 2013 before IS swept through the region. Many of the remaining Christians in Iraq are displaced, mostly in Irbil in the Kurdistan region and need help to return to their homes and stay in Iraq. President Trump also doubled down on the call for border security and money from Congress for a wall. "We need border security and part of border security is a wall. So I don't mind owning that issue," said Trump. "I said you know what, rather than us debating who's owning it I'll take it. I'll take it. If we close down the country I will take it because we're closing it down for border security. And I think I win that every single time." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/2d6ebf68af0358acec6d37b351049a06
