wfn.org | U.S. church leaders urge Bush to avoid military action against Iraq

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #7423 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

13-September-2002
02349

U.S. church leaders urge Bush to avoid military action against Iraq

Kirkpatrick, Abu-Akel agree Saddam is a threat, but to attack is wrong

by Jerry L. Van Marter 
and Charles Wetekam, CMEP

LOUISVILLE - Leaders of many U.S. Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic churches
and organizations issued a letter today to President Bush opposing military
action against Iraq.

The letter, coming on the heels of Bush's tough speech to the United Nations
General Assembly, said: "(Saddam) Hussein poses a threat to his neighbors and
to his own people, [but] we nevertheless believe it is wrong, as well as
detrimental to U.S. interests to launch an attack on Iraq."

The letter, written by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), cited probable
humanitarian consequences, civilian casualties, and the chaotic political
aftermath of such a war as primary reasons for its opposition. The letter
noted that U.S. military force could easilydestabilize the region with
possible catastrophic results and further increase anti-American sentiment in
the Middle East and Gulf.

The signers of the letter included Presbyterian Church (USA) moderator the
Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel and stated clerk the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick.

Responding to the president's U.N. address, CMEP chair Father Stan DeBoe,
commented, "Consulting with the U.N. while insisting that the U.N. precisely
implement our own policy is not what international cooperation is about.  It
is not a matter of 'you go along with us or else we'll do what we want,' but
rather how does the U.S. work with and through the U.N. to implement the
consensus of the international community.?

DeBoe continued, "We are urging the President to uphold the values of our
great country by working closely with the community of nations, not by
rattling sabers nor by threatening to overthrow governments with force."

The full text of the letter: 

September 12, 2002

Dear Mr. President:

We, like all Americans, kneel in prayer and remembrance for the tragedy and
violence that obliterated the lives of so many people one year ago.  As
American religious leaders, we have sought during this year to listen, to
learn, and to grow in our faith and compassion both for persons in our
congregations and also for those many outside of our churches.	We applaud
your leadership in bringing peoples of disparate faiths together to worship,
to mourn, and to move on boldly with our lives - in a more caring fashion and
with appreciation for the precious gifts of God given to all humankind.

Today, however, we write out of concern that those same precious gifts may be
damaged by actions being contemplated by our nation.

We, leaders of American churches and church-related organizations, are
alarmed by recent statements by yourself and others in the Administration
about pre?emptive military action against Iraq for the expressed purpose of
toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein. Understanding that Mr. Hussein poses a
threat to his neighbors and to his own people, we nevertheless believe it is
wrong, as well as detrimental to U.S. interests, to take such action.

We oppose on moral grounds the United States taking further military action
against Iraq now.  The Iraqi people have already suffered enough through more
than two decades of war and severe economic sanctions.	Military action
against the government of Saddam Hussein and its aftermath could result in a
large number of civilians being killed or wounded, as well as increasing the
suffering of multitudes of innocent people.

It is detrimental to U.S. interests to take unilateral military action when
there continues to be strong multilateral support for a new weapons
inspection regime and when most governments in Europe and the Middle East
resist supporting military action.  It is important for the U.S. to cooperate
with international efforts to control Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, if
possible, through a regional weapons-of-mass-destruction control initiative.

The pre-emptive use of military force by the United States to deal with
proliferation problems, as serious as they may be, establishes a dangerous
precedent, particularly for other nations that feel threatened by the weapons
capabilities of their neighbors.  Furthermore, unilaterally overthrowing
enemy governments heightens concern in other countries about American respect
for their integrity as nations, as well as for international law.

U.S. military action at this time has great potential to further destabilize
the region. 
It is likely that international support for the war on terrorism will erode
if the United States attacks Iraq without a United Nations mandate. 
Militants in Arab and Islamic majority countries would seize the opportunity
to incite people against not only the United States but also against
governments that cooperate with the U.S.  An invasion of, or intensified
military action against, Iraq will divert attention from the need to seek
ways to reduce international terrorism and will retard efforts to restore
stability in Afghanistan.

Rather than attacking Iraq, we urge that your priority in the Middle East be
an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire and peace settlement.	As do many in the
world, we look to the United States government to set an example for the
international community.  As Christian religious leaders responsible for
millions of U.S. citizens we expect our government to reflect the morals and
values we hold dear - pursuing peace, not war; working with the community of
nations, not overthrowing governments by force; respecting international law
and treaties while holding in high regard all human life.	
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