Christians in Iraq are reportedly training to combat the ISIS militants that pushed them out of their land last summer. According to the Wall Street Journal, about 2,000 young Christian men have joined the militia, and are using a former U.S. military base as a training camp.
The Christian army faces a variety of shortcomings, such as few weapons and a lack of funds. The militia hopes to get funding from the U.S. government, as the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act designated $1.6 billion to the training and equipment of fighters against ISIS.
According to the legislation, the money is for "local forces that are committed to protecting highly vulnerable ethnic and religious minority communities in the Nineveh Plain and elsewhere."
A 19-year-old militia member named Fadi told the Wall Street Journal, "I'm excited to retake our villages, but the only way to do this and protect our people is by taking up weapons and fighting.”
Publication date: February 4, 2015
