wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Iraq for the Iraqis, with UN help

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 21/02/2005

WITH UN HELP, IRAQ FOR THE IRAQUIS - WCC CENTRAL COMMITTEE SAYS

Free photos available, see below

To open debate in the appropiate international forums about "a timetable
for the reduction and termination of the United States-led coalition's
military presence in Iraq and for the removal of its military bases there"
is the first among a series of recommendations made in a statement about
Iraq approved by the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee one
day before the end of its 15-22 February meeting in Geneva.

The statement, which calls "governments and intergovernmental bodies to
greater accountability under the rule of international law both for the
cause of peace in Iraq and for more effective management of such crises in
future", insists on the need of a greater role for the United Nations in
helping the Iraqi people to gain effective control of their country.

According to the WCC governing body, this implies the progressive transfer
of "governance and resource management" as well as "security affairs" to
Iraqi control, with the assistance of the appropriate UN agencies. The
UN's role should include overseeing "the post-war reconstruction" so as to
ensure the "maximum feasible participation of Iraqis" while "greatly
reducing the role of foreign contractors".

After reaffirming the Council's position that the war on Iraq was "illegal
under the UN Charter and international law", the statement asks for an
"independent, credible and accurate third-party verification of casualty
levels on all sides during this conflict - assigning responsibility for
the deaths, illnesses, traumas and injuries".

The WCC central committee condemns "unequivocally the torture and
humiliation of prisoners", and deplores the "relegation of punishment for
these crimes to low-ranking soldiers," disregarding responsibilities "at
high levels of the US Administration".

The statement also manifests deep concern "at violence that targets
innocent civilians," and calls on WCC member churches to speak out "on
behalf of all who suffer violence, killings, attacks and kidnappings".

Since Christian communities have a "unique role in Iraqi society today",
the Council's member churches are called to assist "Christian citizens to
stay in Iraq by speaking out on their behalf". They are also called to
"support the continuing efforts of Christians to work with Muslims and
people of other faiths in discerning common goals for Iraq and the Middle
East".

Although it recognizes "a ray of hope for the future in the millions of
citizens who went to the polls last month," the WCC governing body insists
that "the crisis in Iraq persists at the expense of the Iraqi people".
"Leaders who used the false pretexts of terrorist connections and weapons
of mass destruction in Iraq to bolster their case for war will be judged
by history," the document affirms.

The full text of the WCC central committee statement is available at:
www.oikoumene.org > Central Committee

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in
more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.