Fearing a ge**cide of Christians, the Vatican has given its approval to US military air strikes in Iraq -- a rare exception to its policy of peaceful conflict resolution. The Holy See's ambassador to the United Nations, Silva** Tomasi, this weekend supported US air strikes aimed at halting the advance of Sunni Islamic State (IS) militants, calling for "intervention **w, before it is too late". While the Vatican vocally disapproved of the US-led campaign in Iraq in 2003 and the 2013 plan for air strikes on Syria -- fearing both might make the situations worse for Christians on the ground -- fears of ethnic cleansing by Islamists has forced a policy change. Tomasi's appeal follows warnings from Church leaders in Iraq that the persecution is becoming a ge**cide, with urgent help needed to protect Christians and Yezidis in the **rth of the country, where tens of thousands have been forced to flee for their lives.