Diocesan Press Release

Bishops speak out on Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday 11 February 1998

The Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Rev Wilfred Wood, and the Bishop of Kingston, the Rt Rev Peter Price, are among ten Anglican bishops calling for the Government to search more actively for alternatives to violence in the Gulf crisis.

They have written to some national newspapers saying, "We share the concern of the British and American administrations that every effort be made to stop - or at least limit - the damage being done by Saddam Hussein's regime to his own people and to the stability of the entire region. However, any action that will (as in the first Gulf conflict) involve large-scale civilian casualties in Iraq leaves the Western nations in a weak moral position. What is more - again, as in the first Gulf conflict - military intervention by Western nations is likely to reinforce the already deep Muslim mistrust of the West."

The full text of the bishops' letter follows ...

From The BISHOP OF MONMOUTH BISHOPSTOW

NEWPORT, Gwent

Tel. Newport (01633) 263510 NP9 4EA

Fax: (01633) 259946

Editors:Times, Guardian, Independent, Church Times, Tablet 9 February

Dear Sir

The Gulf Crisis: Response by Anglican Bishops

The current situation in Iraq poses a real moral dilemma. As Anglican bishops, we are concerned about the present direction of British and American policy, and feel obliged to pose certain questions to Government. We do not pretend that there is a clear way forward. We share the concern of the British and American administrations that every effort be made to stop - or at least limit - the damage being done by Saddam Hussein's regime to his own people and to the stability of the entire region.

However, any action that will (as in the first Gulf conflict) involve large-scale civilian casualties in Iraq leaves the Western nations in a weak moral position. What is more - again, as in the first Gulf conflict - military intervention by Western nations is likely to reinforce the already deep Muslim mistrust of the West. Events in Bosnia and in Israel in recent years have done nothing to persuade the Muslim world that Western powers are concerned about Muslim communities under threat - which in itself becomes a further destabilising factor in the Middle Eastern situation.

The points we should wish our Government to consider are these.

(i) The existing UN resolutions on Iraq are a crucial sign of the general will of the international community. Military action not endorsed by the Security Council might weaken the force of these resolutions and undermine further the credibility of the UN in the Arab world.

(ii) At present the goals of military intervention remain unclear. If we do not know the exact location of research establishments actively engaged in producing chemical and biological weapons, we cannot know that their elimination has been secured. The risk of widespread collateral damage must be pondered. Previous action reduced Iraq to a state in which the firm government of a ruthless tyrant seemed more than ever the only alternative to total social collapse. Will military action now have the effect of consolidating Saddam's position further? Will we then be told that there is need for still further action?

(iii) Just war theory requires a reasonable calculation of success in attaining clearly defined objectives, once all other avenues have been exhausted. We are not convinced that this applies here. What has actually made possible the limited progress achieved over the last six years? What are the possiblities of reconstituting an inspection team from nations less directly involved in the last conflict?

(iv) At present, sanctions in Iraq continue to cripple anything resembling civil society. If they are not to be lifted or modified, there must be urgent attention to developing the oil-for-food exchanges fostered by the UN and other possibilities for humanitarian aid. The desperate conditions in which ordinary Iraqis live weighs heavily on those of us with recent experience of the region.

(v) We do not write from a pacifist position, but from a common concern to urge Government to search more actively for alternatives to violence, and to seek to work with and for international consensus, rather than allowing any kind of 'superpower' mentality to make the running. We raise these points on the basis of the Christian conviction that innocent citizens have the right not to become the target of threats and violence, and that the building of trust between peoples is the overriding priority for policy in such circumstances. We claim no special expertise, but are convinced of the need to raise these matters for the good of the whole body politic. Our prayers continue for all involved at every level.

Signatories:

Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth

Peter Price, Bishop of Kingston

Barry Morgan, Bishop of Bangor

Wilfred Wood , Bishop of Croydon

John Austin, Bishop of Aston

Christopher Mayfield, Bishop of Manchester

Graham James, Bishop of St German

William Ind, Bishop of Truro

Jack Nicholls, Bishop of Sheffield

Peter Selby, Bishop of Worcester

Ends..