Iraq Christians on edge as cartoon row escalates
By Ahmed Rasheed
BAGHDAD

(Reuters) - Iraq's Christians are bracing for attacks on their ancient community, fearful that deadly bombings of their churches last month were linked to Muslim fury over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad published in Europe."

The church blasts were a reaction to the cartoons published in European papers. But Christians are not responsible for what is published in Europe," Louis Sako, the Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk, told Reuters in the northern city.

"Innocent people were killed because of these cartoons ... this is terror," he said, referring to car bombings at several churches last month that killed three people and wounded 17.

The caricatures of Mohammad published in European newspapers have enraged Muslims worldwide, including Iraq, where al Qaeda and other militant groups have been launching spectacular suicide bombs since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The rest