Iraq archive

Iraq Archive
indexing postings from August
through October, 2002

For the most recent reports, and links to other archives

Stories posted since the end of October:
Stories from November and December
Stories from 2003 are on our "Iraq invasion" page.

Media remained almost silent on anti-war demonstrations [10-30-02]

Deborah Kory, Managing Editor of Tikkun magazine (Tikkun is a liberal Jewish activist organization whose leading spirit is Rabbi Michael Lerner), has commented on the impressive lack of media coverage of the demonstrations last Saturday, Oct. 26, around the nation and indeed around the world, opposing the US march toward war against Iraq.

She urges those who share Tikkun's commitment to peace in the Middle East to write to their media outlets expressing concern at this bias.

Can you share news of any rallies or demonstrations you've taken part in or witnessed? Please send us a note!

Keeping U.S. No. 1: Is It Wise? Is It New?

Thoughtful comments on the Administration's "National Security Strategy of the United States"

[10-30-02]

Judith Miller, writing in the New York Times, offers comments from a variety of military strategists about President Bush's recent release of an audacious new strategy for defending America against future foreign threats.

One example: John J. Mearsheimer, a professor at the University of Chicago, applauds the administration for some of its straight talk, buts fears the blunt language about American pre-eminence may backfire. "We should not be standing on the rooftop shouting that we're No. 1 and we plan to stay that way when we're trying to build coalitions against terror," he said. He warns that if global hegemony is the administration's real goal, "we will have our hands full and will ultimately fail."

Presbyterians raising voices in opposition to Iraq attack [10-25-02]

Evan Silverstein, in a recent Presbyterian News Service report, details a variety of statements and actions by Presbyterians around the country, urging the U.S. government not to go to war against Iraq. The story also takes note of the difficulties and tensions involved in coming to such decisions.

Presbytery of Western Reserve adopts super-short statement opposing military action in Iraq [10-19-02]

To All PC(USA) Presbyteries:

At its stated meeting of September 23, 2002, the Presbytery of the Western Reserve adopted the following statement to be sent to the President of the United States and the Ohio Congressional delegation:

We do not support unilateral, pre-emptive, retributive military action in Iraq. We believe that other measures short of sending troops must be encouraged with participation of allied and other nations.

A letter with the statement was sent to the persons indicated above on September 27th. Notice is being sent to you by action of the Presbytery.

Douglas J. Tracy, Stated Clerk
Presbytery of the Western Reserve
2800 Euclid Avenue, Suite 500
Cleveland, OH 44115-2496

Most Presbyterians in Congress backed war resolution

At least one legislator was swayed by PC(USA) policy on Iraq, according to a Presbyterian News Service report. That one was Rep. Eva Clayton, a North Carolina Democrat who also is a Presbyterian elder -- [and who spoke at a Witherspoon luncheon some years ago.] [10-19-02]

Recently a visitor asked that famous question, "What would Jesus do" about waging war on Iraq?

We now have an interesting answer! [10-19-02]

Pre-emptive strikes?? How about Costa Rica doing one against the US?
[10-19-02]

Columbia Seminary faculty issue "A Public Testimony on War With Iraq, With Questions, Answers, and an Invitation to Dialogue and Action." [10-15-02]

In a notable action by seminary faculty, over 100 members of the Columbia Seminary community have signed as statement which opens with a too-rarely heard (but very Reformed) acknowledgment that "We share neither the mind nor the will of God."

The statement starts by affirming that "the presumption of the Christian faith is always toward peace," and that "even in the most carefully conducted wars, far too many innocent persons suffer death and hardship."

The writers then assert that "a policy of preemptive and unilateral action flouts current international laws, including those that have been agreed upon and promoted by the U.S. in the past." They summarize their stand: "We asked ourselves, 'Can we gain the type of security our national administration suggests it can deliver to us through war?' 'And if so, ought we desire it?' We believe that the answers to both questions are No."

They conclude with an invitation to their community to engage in serious theological and biblical reflection on this urgent issue, promising to hear and respect views that differ from their own. For, the affirm, "In a time of anger and despair, the church can and ought to be a place of peace and hope."

Power and Transformation -- a sermon
[10-15-02]

Beyond counting are the sermons that must have been preached last Sunday, October 13, 2002, following the action of Congress to grant President Bush the power to wage pre-emptive war against Iraq. (Even more sermons were preached, we suspect, which studiously avoided the whole thing in the name of "peace in the church.")

Witherspoon President Kent Winters-Hazelton has shared his sermonic effort to deal with the issue, acknowledging his own nervousness about offending people in his congregation. But he notes that there is now, as in Acts 4, "a collision of two sources of power; the way things have always been and the new reality of God's way." And he concludes that "The way of God is transformative and calls us to seek ways to break the cycle of power and violence."

One group encourages support of congressional candidates who stood against the war [10-15-02]

MoveOn, a liberal political action group, encourages support of those courageous senators and representatives who have "dared to speak for caution and restraint instead of war." The quote is from Janet Adair Hansen, who sent this to us.

US and British church leaders urge: "Disarm Iraq without War" [10-15-02]

Bill Moyers special to examine resistance to Iraq war

Airs Friday, Oct. 11 on PBS [Posted here 10-9-02]

On Friday, Oct. 11, "NOW with Bill Moyers" (PBS) will examine public arguments being made against going to war by a number of community based groups, including the National Council of Churches, Veterans for Peace, Voices in the Wilderness, and Black Voices for Peace. In a thoughtful and measured documentary segment, NOW will illuminate the issues on the minds of these groups' leaders: The impact of the war on the black community, the possibility of continuing sanctions, the human tragedy at stake, and the high financial cost of war with so many ongoing domestic problems. Check local listings for air times at: http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html

Source: Sojourners 2002 (c) http://www.sojo.net

Quotes to ponder: We offer a provocative collection of quotations about war -- from Ben Franklin to Margaret Mead to Herbert Hoover to Henry Miller. (How's that for a random sample?) [10-9-02]

Interfaith Alliance urges US to explore non-violent alternatives to war with Iraq [10-9-02]

The Interfaith Alliance has sent a letter to President Bush, urging him and the Congress (according to their announcement) "to explore all possible non-violent alternatives to military action. Peace, a core value of all major religious traditions, is more than an ideal, but a real strategy for non-violent international relations. Additionally, we believe that pre-emptive unilateral violent action could prove to be more morally destructive to our nation than any other proposed solution to the Iraqi arms build-up."

You can read the full letter on their web site: http://www.interfaithalliance.org/rresource/iraq/ltr.htm

They have also posted statements by various religious leaders on this subject at http://www.interfaithalliance.org/rresource/iraq/statemen.htm

You can send a letter to President Bush from http://ga0.org/campaign/iraq_bush

And send a letter to your members of Congress from And send a letter to your members of Congress at http://ga0.org/campaign/iraq_congress

The President used fear instead of reason to justify a war [10-9-02]

President Bush's address to the nation on Monday night, Oct. 7, was notable for its appeal to "the emotions of fear and repugnance and moral superiority that are the foot soldiers of war." So writes Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine. He sees Bush's appeal to fear as an effort to compensate for the weakness of his arguments for a war.

Thanks to Bruce Gillette for calling our attention to this article.

"War and Peace" was the title for a sermon by delivered by the Rev. Roger Scott Powers at Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland, CA, on September 29, 2002. He considered the arguments being advanced to justify the war, and concluded that's our faith impels us to seek more creative solutions to the conflict - and to keep debating the questions, and making our views known. [10-7-02]

In the face of war, one preacher ponders "What to Say, What to Do."

Dr. Daniel R. Anderson-Little, Pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church, University City, Missouri, preached a sermon on September 29, 2002, in which he acknowledged the complex issues we are all facing today. But for all the complexities, he concludes that "If the Church of Jesus Christ is going to fulfill its calling, it must insist that we talk about the whole consequence of war" for the people of Iraq, and of the whole, newly and deeply interconnected world. [10-7-02]

Detroit Presbytery cites Confession of 1967 and urges US "to exercise military restraint"
[10-7-02]

The Social Witness and Action Committee of The Presbytery of Susquehanna Valley has sent out a very helpful informational letter to all churches in the presbytery. [10-7-02]

So, who's violating UN resolutions?

One of the arguments advanced most often by the Bush administration to justify a war on Iraq is that Saddam Hussein has violated UN Security Council resolutions, and must be punished in order to defend the standing of the United Nations.

Stephen Zunes, writing for The Progressive Response, lists eight UN resolutions that are being violated by other nations, including Israel as the primary violator. [10-7-02]

Another Santa Fe rally against war in Iraq [10-7-02]

Jane Hanna, just "retired" as President of the Witherspoon Society during the Executive Committee meeting last weekend, returned to Santa Fe where she took part in a rally of well over 1000 people concerned about the threatened war in Iraq.

Invade Iraq? What would Jesus do?
[10-7-02]

We received this note a few days ago from John Rozendaal in Carroll, Iowa.

Around this part of the country a lot of people wear the letters, "WWJD" (What Would Jesus Do?). It's a good question but I haven't heard it raised (even in church) re how the war on terrorism (or the more recently raised issue of dealing with Saddam Hussein) should be carried on!

And now [10-19-02] we have an answer!

Former Attorney General urges UN to resist Bush's pressure toward war
[10-1-02]

Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General, has sent on open letter to all members of the UN Security Council, with copies to the UN General Assembly, urging them to resist the pressures from President Bush to initiate a war against Iraq.

He presents a powerful list of reasons why the threatened war would lead the U.S. and the UN and "all nations toward a lawless world of endless wars." It is President Bush, he says, and not Saddam Hussein, who presents the greatest threat to the independence and purpose of the United Nations.

We encourage you, if you believe every voice must be raised against the war, to go to the web site where this statement is posted, and to add your name to the list of signers. (Scroll down to the end of the letter to jump to the sign-up page.)

GAC calls for U.S. restraint on Iraq, urges Presbyterians to witness - and work - for peace [10-1-02]

Meeting in Louisville at the end of September, the General Assembly Council issued a "call to prayer and action," urging Presbyterians to oppose a precipitate U.S. attack on Iraq and the Bush administration's 'new doctrine of pre-emptive military action.'

The Presbytery of Hudson River has issued a call for strengthening Presbyterian U.N. office as one contribution for peace [10-1-02]

"Who do we think we are?"

Peter Sawtell, of Eco-Justice Ministries, reflects on the current administration's attitude toward the world of nations as mirroring our nation's attitude toward the world of nature: standing above the rules, rightly telling other nations what to do - in short, attitudes the are grounded in our "bullying, exploitative, and self-centered worldview." [10-1-02]

What are people doing to resist the rush to war?

[9-28-02]

We recently posted Gene TeSelle's report of an action in Nashville, protesting the President's moves toward a unilateral war, when he (the President, not Gene) was making a campaign visit to Nashville.

We asked for reports from others, and Witherspoon President Jane Hanna responded with this report from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Can you report on local actions in your area? Please send a note and we'll share it here.

Christians in Pakistan say they are suffering for the policies of the U.S. [9-28-02]

Some Pakistani Christians are saying that the wave of attacks on Christians is in part a response of Muslims to U.S. actions, directed against Pakistani Christians who are seen "as agents of Western nations."

A thought for the weekend -- and for this challenging time [9-21-02]

"Almost always, it is the conviction that 'I am right' or 'my cause is the cause of justice' that triggers violence. That is, ... the moment propaganda does its work, violence is unleashed.
And violence can be reduced by countering this propaganda."

- Jacques Ellul

Source: Sojourners 2002 (c) http://www.sojo.net

People of faith in Nashville protest to Bush against his war plans

One community takes a stand for peace. So what's happening where you are? [9-21-02]

In Nashville, religious leaders organized what they consider a very successful witness for peace, warning against the rush toward a unilateral attack on Iraq. They wondered whether they were the first, since the media had not mentioned other such activities in other cities. Now they learn that the media cannot be trusted to give full or accurate reporting. So they decided to get the word out to people of faith in other communities, with a few "how to" suggestions based on their own experience. They would welcome similar narratives from other cities.

Weston Jesuits add their call for no war on Iraq [9-21-02]

" ... Our Just War tradition insists that peaceful and diplomatic alternatives must first be exhausted. It has not been demonstrated to the satisfaction of allies of the United States or to the American public that we have reached the point where war is our last resort. ...".

War on Iraq as a threat to peace

Two recent essays from The Progressive Response (PR), a weekly service of Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF), point to the dangers posed by America's threatened war on Iraq -- as an American undermining of a global trend toward multilateralism, and as a threat to the tenuous state of the American and global economies. [9-18-02]

Chicken hawks?

The Baptist Center for Ethics and The New Hampshire Gazette both carry reports on the number of vocal supporters of an invasion of Iraq who have themselves managed to avoid military service. This lead to reflections on character, integrity, and some of the finer ironies of Life in These United States.

Is it all about oil? The Rev. Arch Taylor offers that analysis of US threats to invade Iraq.

Christians living among Muslims

We recently posted an essay by

We've received a couple comments, the latest from a Christian living in Pakistan. He doesn't agree with Mr. Awad.

The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship calls for "no war against Iraq" and for "nonviolent ways of dealing with this international crisis because of the words of Jesus."

They have also endorsed the statement by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, "No War with Iraq!"

[9-13-02]

U.S. church leaders urge Bush to avoid military action against Iraq

Kirkpatrick, Abu-Akel agree Saddam is a threat, but to attack is wrong [9-13-02]

Information available

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has published a booklet with information on Iraq; a more complete packet of information will be available within 2 weeks. [9-13-02]

Iraq Peace Pledge is gathering support [9-10-02]

The Campaign of Conscience is seeking signatures for a "Peace Pledge" of people and groups committed to opposing the impending war against Iraq.

A Jordanian looks at 9/11, then and now [9-13-02]

Hasan Abu-Nimah, former ambassador and permanent representative of Jordan to the UN, sees the events of a year ago as a terrible response to US policies around the world. The terrorists may indeed be a tiny minority, but he argues that they may reflect much broader discontents with US policy. And now, he says, as "the US seized greater power, it also became less sensitive and accountable to international opinion, with, at least in the Middle East, catastrophic consequences."

Karen Armstrong says the US should foster democratic strands in Islam [9-13-02]

Noted scholar Karen Armstrong, writing in the Washington Post, urges that "Americans should support Muslim initiatives to build a spiritually and intellectually vibrant American Islam, which could counter extremism at home and abroad."

The Rev. Dr. Robert Boehlke, who spent many years teaching in the major Protestant theological seminary in Indonesia, offers both criticism and appreciation for Armstrong's statement.

Iraq War Plans Consume Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking

A respected church group analyzes the heavy costs - human, moral, political and diplomatic as well as economic - of the planned war on Iraq. The organization, Churches for Middle East Peace, of which the Presbyterian Church (USA) is a member, has issued a thoughtful review of the impending war against Iraq. [9-10-02]

Church leaders urge: "Stop the rush to war."

Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick has joined 36 other church leaders from Britain, Canada and the US, to call on the U.S. government to pull back from its "rush to war" in Iraq. [9-3-02]

Invade Iraq? Jesus invites us to "pre-emptive good". [9-3-02]

What is the calling of God to Christians as we face the prospect of a U.S. invasion of Iraq? The Rev. Thomas Davis took on the question in a sermon on September 1, 2002, urging that the Christian calling is to "pre-emptive good" instead of pre-emptive strikes. He reflected on the just war theory, and on his own experience in American's counter-insurgency forces.

A Witherspooner comments on the prospective US invasion of Iraq:

"A US unilateral preemptive war in Iraq, with no real allies, entered into by any American Political Administration, risks being such a failure as to cost that Party any chance to ever rule again." [9-3-02]

Just War and Iraq [9-3-02]

Dr. George Hunsinger of Princeton Seminary has a thoughtful article looking at a possible war with Iraq from a faith perspective: Iraq: Crisis of Conscience "By just-war standards, a pre-emptive attack against Iraq must be condemned. The proposed war fails to meet these standards at virtually every point." This article was published in both The Presbyterian Outlook and The Christian Century.

If you want to say No to invading Iraq! [9-3-02]

If you share the concern of many that the Administration in Washington is determined to invade Iraq in spite of all the objections from around the world, one urgent need if for US citizens to join people from other nations is saying No to war.

Witherspooner Jean Rodenbough suggests one way to do this, through the web site of MoveOn.org.

Their home-page statement says: "As President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld drive the nation toward a war with Iraq, experts and senior Republicans from Brent Scowcroft to Dick Armey are urging them to reconsider. Sign our petition calling on Congress to prevent a war on Iraq. Also, MoveOn is organizing constituent meetings next week with every Senate office to deliver this petition.

You can also register on the site to join a meeting in your state and join thousands in personally voicing your concern.

Dancing with the Archbishop

Sojourners' editor Jim Wallis offers an interesting view of Rowan Williams, the new Archbishop-Elect of the Church of England. This leads to thoughts on the need for people to raise their voices - through letters, calls, petitions - against the impending American invasion of Iraq. [8-29-02]

What should we be doing about the threatened invasion of Iraq?

Please send a note, and let's talk about it!

Historian Howard Zinn offers a compelling case against US invasion of Iraq [8-22-02]

Is Bush saying, like his father, "What we say goes"?

Arch Taylor, retired Japan missionary, shares a letter he recently sent to the Louisville Courier-Journal, laying out briefly and powerfully the alarmingly unilateral and aggressive policies of the present Bush administration.

[8-19-02]

To the Courier-Journal Readers Forum

***************

It's frightening to watch what's happening to our beloved country under the second Bush administration.

President Bush has withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and started plans to put arms in space in violation of international law. He proposes to build new nuclear weapons and begin testing them in violation of the Comprehensive Test Ban treaty. In defiance of World Court ruling and United Nations Charter he has begun to make threats to use nuclear weapons first against perceived enemies, even nations which have no nuclear weapons.

Bush is laying the groundwork for a second war against Iraq without pursuing diplomatic negotiations. He is not considering the possibility of not attacking Iraq but only whether we might have to commit American soldiers to ground combat.

Now the sole superpower, under Bush the US increasingly acts unilaterally, ignoring the rest of the world, including our closest allies. As the first President Bush stated after the first Iraq War: "What we say goes."

Maybe our Pledge of Allegiance should read: "One nation, acting God. . ."

Rev. Arch B. Taylor, Jr., former Japan missionary (Presbyterian, retired)

If you have comments to offer on this statement, we'd like to share them here. Just send a note!

Former weapons inspector Scott Ritter speaks out clearly against invasion
[8-19-02]

As the Bush administration escalates its threats of invasion against Iraq, Scott Ritter, who spent seven years in Iraq with the UNSCOM weapons inspection teams investigating Iraq's weapons program, is speaking out to say that Iraq's capability for manufacturing and deploying "weapons of mass destruction" was effectively destroyed in the years after the Gulf War.

Thus, he says, the US justification for a "preemptive war" against Iraq has no basis in fact, and would cost American and Iraqi lives, while adding to the instability of the Middle East. Such an action, he says, must be avoided at all costs.

Check out the report by William Rivers Pitt in TruthOut.

For the most recent reports, and links to other archives

Stories posted since the end of October:
Stories from November and December
Stories from 2003 are on our "Iraq invasion" page.