(ENI/ACNS)As American and British missiles and military manpower amass in the Persian Gulf for possible action against Iraq, church leaders in many countries, including Iraq, are vigorously urging diplomacy rather than ultimatums, food aid rather than missiles, and peace rather than war.

Three Roman Catholic bishops in the US have begun a fast to draw public attention to the plight of millions of Iraqi civilians suffering from a seven-year embargo laid down by the United Nations and enforced by the US.

In Britain, debate on the morality of a second incursion into Iraq began in both parliament and at the general synod of Anglican bishops on 10 February.

Although British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the responsibility of sanctioning military strikes that could kill innocent people "weighs seriously" upon him, he felt he had the backing of the British people.

Statement of 10 British bishops

But at least 10 Anglican bishops have urged the British Government to find another alternative. In an open letter to the government, they opposed the action noting that innocent Iraqis "have the right not to become the target of threats and violence".

The text of the statement reads:

Dear Sir,

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 possibilities 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 in 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 be 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 Germans
William Ind, Bishop of Truro
Jack Nicholls, Bishop of Sheffield
Peter Selby, Bishop of Worcester

WCC delegation reports next week

Next week, leaders of a seven-member World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation which recently returned from a visit to Iraq, will present their report to a meeting of the WCC executive committee in Geneva. The team has recommended that churches world-wide urge their governments to oppose military action as a means to force Iraq to comply with UN Security Council demands.

The delegation spoke of the growing death toll and worsening state of health, education, agriculture and the infrastructure of Iraq since sanctions began. Rather than undermining popular support for President Saddam Hussein, the sanctions had "galvanised" Iraqis against foreign intervention and "forged stronger bonds among various ethnic and religious communities", the delegation reported.

Christians, who comprised five per cent of the Iraqi population had been "substantially impaired" by the embargo, causing many to emigrate for economic reasons and leaving churches with "a sense of abandonment by and isolation from the broader Christian fellowship", the delegation said.

The delegation had held extensive meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and with a number of church representatives, health and social service workers, with children and teenagers, and with UN and other humanitarian workers.