ACTION REQUESTED: Urge the President (202-456-1414) and your members of Congress (202-224-3121) to step back from the brink of war and to work with other nations and the UN to pursue actively effective alternatives to war to address Iraq's threats.
THE ISSUE: Both the Senate and
the House of Representatives are expected to debate resolutions authorizing the
use of military force against Iraq as early as the week of September 30. President Bush sent Congress an
expansively worded draft resolution that would authorize him to use all means
that he determines to be appropriate, including force, in order to enforce
United Nations Security Council Resolutions, defend the national security
interests of the United States against the threat posed by Iraq, and restore
international peace and security in the region. House and Senate leadership are
currently negotiating with the Administration to develop compromise language
that would authorize the use of force against Iraq. Negotiations could be completed in days
and debate could then begin.
USCCB RESPONSE: In a September 13th letter (www.usccb.org/sdwp) to President Bush, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said: “We conclude, based on the facts that are known to us, that a preemptive, unilateral use of force [to overthrow the government of Iraq] is difficult to justify at this time.” Bishop Gregory welcomed, however, the President's efforts to focus the world's attention on the need to address Iraq's repression and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction in defiance of the United Nations.
RATIONALE: The United States and the international community have two grave moral obligations: to protect the common good against Iraqi threats to peace and to do so in a way that conforms to traditional moral norms. The USCCB fears that resort to force, under these circumstances, would not meet the strict conditions necessary to override the strong presumption against the use of military force.
Ø Continued diplomatic efforts aimed, in part, at resuming rigorous, meaningful inspections;
Ø Effective enforcement of the military embargo, and other legitimate ways to contain and deter aggressive Iraqi actions;
Ø Maintenance of political sanctions and much more carefully-focused economic sanctions which do not threaten the lives of innocent Iraqis;
Ø
Non-military support for Iraqis who offer democratic
alternatives.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Gerard Powers, USCCB, 202-541-3160 (ph); 541-3339 (f) http://www.usccb.org/sdwp ; Kathy Brown Catholic Relief Services, 800-235-2772, ext. 7232, kbrown@catholicrelief.org