According to Asia News, after the funeral mortar rounds and rockets (were fired) over the capital and north.  Thousands at the funeral of the Iranian general, but a part of the Iraqis rejoice over death – which represents the divided Iraqi public.

Patriarch Louis Rafaël Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, issued a strong appeal on Saturday in the wake of the U.S. drone strike in Baghdad which killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, and the protests which followed.

In a tweet on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that the U.S. has already selected 52 sites that will be attacked “very fast and very hard”, “if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets”. The number 52 is symbolic of the 52 U.S. hostages held in Iran between 1979 and 1981, Vatican News reported.

As a response to recent tensions, the Chaldean patriarch issued a strong statement and called upon the parties involved to initiate dialogue:

“Iraqis are still shocked by what happened last week. It is deplorable that our country should be transformed into a place where scores are settled, rather than being a sovereign nation, capable of protecting its own land, its own wealth, its own citizens. In the face of this delicate and dangerous situation, we implore all the parties involved to exercise moderation, to demonstrate wisdom, to act reasonably and to sit down at the negotiating table to dialogue and seek understanding so that this country might be spared unimaginable consequences.

“We lift our prayer to Almighty God so that He might grant Iraq and the region that peaceful, stable, safe ‘normal life’ that we desire.”

• Patriarch Sako hopes Iraq will not become a war zone
• Solemani killing, Card Sako: Do ​​not turn Iraq into a battlefield

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