You are hereTALKING POINTS: WHY WE OPPOSE WAR WITH IRAQ
TALKING POINTS: WHY WE OPPOSE WAR WITH IRAQ
- War itself is the ultimate violation of human rights and the gravest of offenses in the eyes of God. The massive death and destruction caused by war will never yield the conditions for a just and peaceful coexistence between nations. War cannot be a remedy for the threat of attack; only nonviolence can ultimately bring economic stability, disarmament, safety, and hope to the people of Iraq and the world.
- By some estimates (National Priorities Project report of September 10, 2002), a U.S. war against Iraq would cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated 100 billion dollars for the actual military campaign, with an additional 60 billion dollars in costs associated with long term military occupation and post-war reconstruction. The military cost is also in addition to the record $396 billion request for Pentagon spending in Fiscal Year 2003.
- A military strike against Iraq would unquestionably result in the tragic deaths of thousands of Iraqi civilians and military personnel, as well as untold numbers of United States combatants.
- Renewed warfare would result in further destruction of the battered Iraqi infrastructure already decimated by 12 years of sanctions and military attacks; untold additional casualties would be added to the more than 1 million Iraqi citizens who have already died from the effect of sanctions since 1991.
- Neither the U.S. government nor Britain — the two countries pushing for war against Iraq- has presented conclusive proof that Iraq actually possesses an arsenal of chemical or biological weapons. And no credible authority, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, has claimed that Iraq now possesses atomic weapons.
- Iraq has never declared war against the USA. As the result, a pre-emptive attack by the United States against Iraq would violate the non-aggression provision of the United Nations Charter, which condemns any armed attack by one U.N. member state against another.
- In the aftermath of a new war against Iraq, any US military occupation force Iraq could possibly last for an undetermined period, and would likely result in prolonged armed attacks from remnants of military forces loyal to Saddam Hussein.
- The violent overthrow of the Iraqi government (by U.S. military power) would violate the right of the Iraqi citizens to decide their own political leadership.
- There is no Iraqi opposition group that has demonstrated the wide support necessary to form any sort of stable government after Saddam Hussein and his ruling party. Indeed, if the current government in Iraq was deposed by force, further chaos and social disintegration throughout the society could likely follow. The impact of such chaos goes well beyond Iraq and would destabilize the entire region, endangering the possibility for peace and justice in the entire Middle East.
- Iraq, despite skepticism from the United States, agreed on September 16, 2002 to allow United Nations weapons inspection teams to re-enter the country and resume their mandated inspection work. As long as there is the possibility of a peaceful solution to this crisis, a U.S. attack against Iraq would only isolate the U.S. further from the international community.
©2002 Fellowship of Reconciliation
