Washington (AINA) -- In a joint letter (PDF) to Secretary of State Clinton, Senator Joseph Lieberman (Connecticut) and Senator Susan Collins (Maine) have called attention to the plight of Iraq's minorities, who have "...suffered disproportionately over the past six years as their country has been wracked by violence." Th letter states that because these minorities lack militias or tribal structures to defend themselves, "...they have been uniquely vulnerable to attack and intimidation by extremists."

According to the Senators, of the approximately 1.4 million Christian Assyrians who lived in Iraq in 2003 only 500,000 to 700,000 remain today. The Mandaean community has lost 90% of its population to emigration and murder. The Yazidi population has dropped from 700,000 in 2005 to 500,000 today.

The letter urges Secretary Clinton to "...assign highest priority to the protection and preservation of Iraq's minorities in our bilateral relations with the government of Iraq." The Senators also call for a dedicated official to be put in charge of minority issues in the US embassy in Iraq.