U.S. Congressman Rod Blagojevich and Congressman Ray Lahood, both of Illinois, jointly wrote the following congressional letter. Their ongoing concern for the Assyrians of Northern Iraq prompted them to write this letter to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The letter informs and urges a solution to the latest injustice being perpetrated against the Assyrian community of the U.N. controlled region of Northern Iraq.

Congress of the United States

Washington DC, 20515
October 29, 1998
The Honorable Madeleine K. Albright
Secretary of State
2201 C Street
NE Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Albright:

We write to alert you to the current situation in Northern Iraq. At the present time, the Kurdish authorities who have de facto control over that region have refused to grant permission to local Assyrians to establish their own secondary schools. This delay comes at the beginning of the school year. Meaning that all Assyrian secondary students are prevented from attending classes.

The freedom to establish and maintain Assyrian schools is a critical issue for the Assyrian People in Northern Iraq. As their identity and existence are under constant threat, these schools are vital to keep Assyrian culture alive. In the wake of the Gulf War, the establishment of independent Assyrian primary schools was a needed improvement. Now, six years later; these primary students are graduating, and are ready to attend secondary school. But they are prevented from doing so because the Kurdish authorities still have not granted permission for Assyrian secondary schools to operate.

With each passing day, these children see their opportunity to get an education and escape poverty slipping away. Just last month, Congress voted to allocate U.S. resources to support opposition to Saddam Hussein’s regime. But our support for an alternative to Hussein's dictatorship is hollow if we do not insist that the opposition also uphold democratic values and respect the rights of all people. We urge you to articulate, clearly and forcefully, to the Kurdish parties in Northern Iraq that continued U.S. support is dependent on their respect for the rights of all peoples in their area of influence. Furthermore, we urge you to Communicate that the Assyrian schools issue will be a crucial test of their commitment to these principles.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you on this issue.

Sincerely,

Rod K. Blagojevich	Ray Lahood
Member of Congress	Member of Congress