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PCUSA - Peacemaking committee recommends U.S. cease combat in Afghanistan


From Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>
Date Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:20:38 -0700

Peacemaking committee recommends U.S. cease combat in Afghanistan

Marks first-time call for peace in that country since war began in 2001

July 6, 2010
GA219 Communication Center
by Pat Cole
Communications Associate
MINNEAPOLIS
The 219th General Assembly Peacemaking and International Issues 
Committee voted 49-2 on Monday to recommend that the Assembly call on 
the U.S. government to end combat operations in Afghanistan.
The PC(USA) has made no statement calling for peace in Afghanistan 
since the war began in 2001.
The action asks that all combat operations cease "except those to 
protect Coalition troops remaining, Afghani security force troops and 
humanitarian efforts." It also recommends expanded humanitarian aid 
and the creation of a consensus building process that includes all 
stakeholders.
"Whether we like it or not, people around the world associate what is 
going on in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a war of Christians against 
Muslims," said Rick Ufford-Chase, a former GA Moderator. Therefore, 
he stressed that it is important for the church to express its opposition.
The proposal was submitted as an overture by the Greater Atlanta 
Presbytery. Similar overtures were submitted by three other 
presbyteries Hudson River, Scioto Valley and San Francisco. The 
committee declared that those overtures were answered by the 
statement it approved.
The committee also recommended that the Assembly pass actions related 
to peacemaking in Sudan and on the Korean peninsula.





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