Approximately 1.2 million of Iraq's population is neither Arab nor Muslim - they are Assyrian Christians - remnants of the ancient Assyrian empire. Biblical and secular sources indicate that the modern day descendants of the Assyrian people are the Germans. This may indicate why Germany has to this day, strategic and economic ties with Iraq, and how they may (under the auspices of the United States of Europe assisting in a post-Saddam Iraq) in the near future gain a hold in the Middle East.

Source: The Japan Times