English Wall

BARTELLA, Iraq -- In the main square in the northern Iraqi town of Bartella stands a large cross, one of the few overt signs the town was historically Christian. - Nearby, a massive billboard shows Shiite Muslim martyrs alongside a photo of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini. Posters of Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen killed in fighting with the Islamic State group hang on streets all around the city, along with banners to revered historical Shiite saints.  read more