The biggest tragedy is we’re leaving behind a Christian population living in terror of Islamist radicals.

(CNS News) — A month before President Barack Obama announced that the last U.S. forces will be leaving Iraq by the end of this year, the U.S. State Department issued a report on religious freedom in that country that said that “moral support” of “Zionist organizations,” “promoting Zionist principles,” or working in any way to achieve “Zionist objectives” remain capital offenses there.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry defines Zionism as follows: “Zionism is the national movement espousing repatriation of Jews to their homeland — the Land of Israel — and the resumption of sovereign Jewish life there.”

Thus, supporting the right of Jews to return to Israel and the existence of the Israeli state is a crime that warrants the death penalty in Iraq.

In a speech on Friday announcing that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq and be home for the holiday season this year, President Obama expressed his confidence in the ability of Iraqis to build a society in keeping with Iraq’s ancient status as a “cradle of civilization.”