April 10, 2025 – Orthodox persecution has surged in the Middle East, driven by U.S.-led wars since President Bill Clinton’s 1999 Kosovo intervention with NATO. Clinton, a Baptist, and Defense Secretary William Cohen, an agnostic-leaning Unitarian, aimed to stabilize the Balkans but fragmented Orthodox Serbian communities. This pattern of imposing democracy fueled terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS, a trend now intensifying in Palestine’s Gaza and Ukraine’s conflicts with Russia. Meanwhile, periodic erasure and Vanishing History obscure this devastation in 2025, rewriting Christian progress optimistically as Islam reshapes regional culture—though this focuses on Orthodox displacement, not Islamophobia. Reuters | BBC
Bush’s Iraq War Boosts Terror, Hits Orthodox
In 2003, President George W. Bush, a Methodist, with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, a Presbyterian, invaded Iraq to plant democracy. Instead, they created a vacuum that birthed ISIS. Orthodox and Assyrian Christians, once 1.5 million strong, fell to 120,000 by 2025 as terrorists targeted their churches. Pope John Paul II opposed the war, unlike past popes like Urban II, who launched the Crusades in 1095. Yet, Orthodox bishops’ peace calls went unheeded, their heritage fading amid extremist growth. BBC | History.com
Obama’s Syria Policy Empowers ISIS, Orthodox Suffer
President Barack Obama, a Protestant, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, a Catholic, backed Syria’s 2011 rebels against Assad for democracy. However, this strengthened ISIS, slashing Syria’s Orthodox from 2 million to under 500,000 by 2025. Orthodox bishops sought peace, contrasting with warlike popes like Innocent III, who sacked Constantinople in 1204. Thus, this terrorist surge now echoes in Gaza and Ukraine, deepening Orthodox persecution as U.S. actions destabilize their lands. Reuters | Britannica.com
Biden’s Gaza, Ukraine Stance Amplifies Terror
Under President Joe Biden, a Catholic, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a Protestant, U.S. support for Israel’s 2023 Gaza operations empowered Hamas, striking the Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church. In Ukraine, aid against Russia since 2022 displaced Orthodox as conflict escalated. Pope Francis seeks peace with Orthodox leaders, unlike medieval popes who waged war. Nevertheless, these conflicts—from Palestine to Ukraine—reveal U.S. wars bolstering terrorists, intensifying Orthodox persecution while Islam’s cultural shift provides context. AP News | CNN
Trump and Hegseth: A Hope for Orthodox Protection?
Orthodox persecution continues, but President Donald Trump, a Presbyterian, and current Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a Christian with evangelical ties, might offer relief in 2025. Hegseth, sworn in January 25, 2025, joins a cabinet with Christians like Vice President JD Vance, an Evangelical convert, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Catholic. Historically, U.S. voters’ presidential picks—Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden—fueled wars empowering terrorists, driving Orthodox decline. Periodic erasure hides this toll. Yet, Trump’s shift from democracy export to stability, backed by Hegseth’s focus on military strength, could safeguard Orthodox communities. Voter choices have long dictated Christianity’s fate—protection or persecution. Will this administration rewrite the narrative of the ancient civilization of Orthodox Christianity?
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