US body criticizes religious freedom in allies
Wed May 3, 2006
By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. government commission warned on Wednesday of rising religious persecution in Iraq and Afghanistan, two countries invaded by the United States in the past five years to free their people from tyranny and abuse.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its annual report to Congress and President George W. Bush's administration, also harshly criticized three key U.S. allies -- Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt -- for their poor performance on religious rights.

The commission designated 11 countries as being "of particular concern" because of extreme religious persecution: Burma, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Another seven states were placed on a watch list because of serious violations: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria. the rest