From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org
Kirkpatrick Letter Urges Clinton to Act in Defense of Civilians
From
PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>
Date
16 Dec 1999 20:04:00
Imperiled in Grozny
16-December-1999
99426
Kirkpatrick Letter Urges Clinton to Act
in Defense of Civilians Imperiled in Grozny
by the Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE - The Rev. Cliff Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), sent a letter to President
Bill Clinton on Friday (Dec. 10), asking him to urge Russian President
Boris Yeltsin to lift his government's ultimatum against the inhabitants of
Grozny, Chechnya.
The text of the letter, copies of which were sent to Yeltsin, United
Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, and the presidents of the European
Commission and the European Parliament:
"Dear Mr. President,
"Presbyterians, like millions of other citizens of our country, have
watched recent events in Chechnya with increasing dismay.
"The Russian ultimatum against the inhabitants of Grozny appears to
threaten the indiscriminate destruction of Grozny and those who remain in
that city after the expiration of the ultimatum on Saturday (Dec. 11). Such
an attack, if carried out, would directly and intentionally target innocent
civilians in the effort to deal with the action of a group of rebels also
located in the city. Such an annihilation of an entire community rather
than an attack on those whose actions the Russian government wishes to
resist is morally untenable. All serious religious thinking about justice
in the use of military force condemns the intentional destruction of
innocent civilian life in the conduct of war.
"There is no ethical justification for the Russian government to attack
an innocent civilian population nor is there any moral argument that can
excuse the indiscriminate attacks that have been perpetrated on Russian
civilians by advocates of Chechen independence. Presbyterians recognize, of
course, that the Russian ultimatum against Grozny is only the latest link
in a tragic chain of political and military violence for which both the
Russian government and all the various Chechen parties bear responsibility.
"We ask, Mr. President, that you would again urge President Yeltsin to
lift his government's ultimatum against Grozny. If the Russian government
follows through on its threat to destroy the inhabitants of Grozny, we urge
you to consult with the United Nations as well as with the member states of
the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe to consider appropriate ways the international community might
respond to this crisis.
"Further we ask you, Mr. President, to renew your efforts to assure the
Russian government of the good intentions of the United States as well as
to assure them of our willingness to join in international efforts to
contribute to relief in the Northern Caucasus once relief workers can
safely enter that region.
"Finally, Mr. President, we assure you of our prayers for you and
President Yeltsin and the people of Chechnya as well as the people of
Russia at this difficult moment.
"Yours sincerely,
Cliff Kirkpatrick
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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