wfn.org | AUDIO PRESS CONFERENCE THURSDAY 10 AM EDT

["NCC News" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

AUDIO PRESS CONFERENCE THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 10:00 A.M., EDT

CALL 800-362-0571, Conference ID: IRAQ

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES CALLS IRAQ WAR
'A TRAGIC MISTAKE' OR 'A CLEVER DECEPTION'	 

CONFIRMED NEWSMAKERS: 

DR. BOB EDGAR, GENERAL SECRETARY, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES; 

REV. JOHN H. THOMAS, GENERAL MINISTER AND PRESIDENT, UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

DR. LARRY PICKENS, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE UNITED METHODIST GENERAL
COMMISSION ON CHRISTIAN UNITY AND INTERRELIGIOUS CONCERNS

A National Council of Churches USA audio press conference will be conducted
at 10 a.m., EDT, Thursday, June 30. Journalists should call 800-362-0571 to
hear statements and ask questions of newsmakers Edgar, Thomas and Pickens.

The topic is a National Council of Churches USA Governing Board statement on
Iraq that describes the war in Iraq as "dishonorable" and calls on member
churches to "speak out" and express their dismay. The statement will be
released officially July 4.

More than 200 religious leaders and have signed the statement, which was
e-mailed Monday to thousands of NCC friends and supporters. More than 10,000
people of faith have affirmed the statement so far.

Declaring that the time has come to say no to leaders "who have sent many
honorable sons and daughters to fight a dishonorable war in Iraq," the NCC
Governing Board statement declares, "This year our nation is at war as we
observe the 4th of July, a day that honors those founders who spoke out for
independence from tyranny. Today in Iraq a cruel dictator has been deposed,
yet the suffering of the Iraqi people continues ... No weapons of mass
destruction have been found; no link to the attacks on September 11, 2001 has
been shown.  It has become clear that the rationale for invasion was at best
a tragic mistake, at worst a clever deception. The time has come to speak
out."

The statement was e-mailed prior to President Bush's June 28 news conference.
The statement is the NCC's contribution to the national dialogue on Iraq.

The full text of the statement can be found on the NCC Web page,
www.ncccusa.org

Contact: NCC News, Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2252, pjenks@ncccusa.org