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The United States is currently embroiled in a devastating war against Iraq. As we see the horrific images on the news and in the papers, it has become clear that military action is not a faithful or pragmatic solution. As the war rages on, continue to engage in discussion with your congregation, your elected representatives, and your neighbors and friends. Please consider the following points:

Violent force is not a viable Christian problem-solving method.

Since its inception the Church of the Brethren has rejected war on biblical and theological grounds. "…all war is sin. We, therefore, cannot in the event of war, accept military service or support the military machine in any way." (CoB Annual Conference 1934, '48, '57, '68, '70) Specifically regarding Iraq, CoB General Board proclaimed that it "will peacefully resist all efforts to resolve this (US/Iraq) conflict by military force" (1998, 2002).

The case that Iraq poses a significant threat has still not been made.

• UN inspectors did not find evidence of weapons of mass destruction that would have posed a direct threat to the United States.
• UN-imposed economic sanctions have worked—Unfortunately, the sanctions have also worked at decimating the people of Iraq (UNICEF):
  • One in eight children in Iraq dies before the age of five. One in three suffers from chronic malnutrition. Only two of three attends school.
  • Poor sanitary conditions and difficulty in obtaining clean water, makes normally preventable diseases (such as diarrhea) go untreated. The most vulnerable population, children and the elderly, often suffer the consequences.

Military action against Iraq is illegal and unjustified.

• United Nations Charter, Article 51 does not allow for one nation to unleash an unprovoked attack upon another. This article only allows for a use of force in terms of self-defense, as in response to "an armed attack". Iraq has not attacked the United States – this unprovoked strike on Iraq is illegal.
• Attacking another nation without provocation, a pre-emptive attack, sets a dangerous precedent and model for the rest of the world. Now that the US has attacked Iraq, what will stop hostile neighbors such as India and Pakistan, or China and Taiwan from deploying devastating (and possibly nuclear) attacks on each other?
• By invading Iraq, the United States is perpetuating its image as an international bully. Moreover, if the primary concern of the US administration was weapons of mass destruction, why did we not seek the same nonviolent diplomatic solutions most recently exhibited with North Korea, a nation that has admitted to a burgeoning nuclear weapons program?

A war will effect the United States as well as the world at large.

• It is clear that this invasion will be a difficult and bloody endeavor, involving violent resistance and devastating urban warfare. The war against Iraq will likely result in the deaths of thousands of Iraqi civilians and American soldiers.
• An assault on Iraq could lead to pandemonium in an already unstable Middle East and South Asia. The current tensions between Israel and Palestine could flare up, Islamic militants in Pakistan could fuel the nuclear-charged conflict with India (and the US), etc.
• This attack on Iraq may provoke Anti-American sentiment around the world, leading to a greater risk of terrorist attacks against the US.
• If Hussein has biological weapons at his disposal, he might feel like he has no recourse but to unleash these devastating weapons upon both his attackers and on neighboring nations now that an invasion is underway.
• If the justification for invasion truly rests upon the fact that Iraq failed to comply with numerous UN resolutions, should we assume that fellow violators such as Israel, Turkey or Morocco are next in line?

There are always non-violent alternatives to military action.

• A containment policy worked for 50 years with the Soviet Union and China, why not now?
• Reduce the US military budget, give the rest of the world some peace of mind. The US military budget ($398 billion) dwarfs that of the rest of the world.
• Use the savings from reducing military expenditure to fund life-affirming missions that address the causes of poverty and conflict: alleviate global poverty, de-alert and disarm nuclear weapons, reduce the sale and transfer of arms, promote human rights, and increase diplomatic efforts.

• Reduce the dependence on oil by making macro-changes in energy policy, and micro-choices in our daily lives that reduce energy usage (save the world from military and environmental destruction at the same time!).

There will be a financial as well as human cost.

Economic consequences may include an increase in taxes to pay for a war (cost of such a war would be between $130 and $250 billion). Since the US does not have international support as it did during the Gulf War, the bulk of this hefty price tag will have to be picked up by the American tax payer. Plus, a spike in oil prices will slow an already weakened US economy.

Take Action: Although war has begun, hope is not lost. Continue to contact your representatives in Washington and voice your strong opposition to this devastating invasion. Tell them that you support life on ALL sides, be it US troops or Iraqi civilians. Stress that this war has already caused grave destruction, and that it will result in countless deaths. Call the Capitol switchboard at 1-800-839-5276 and ask to to be connected to your member of Congress. For more information, contact the Washington Office at the address below.

Church of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office 337 North Carolina Ave., SE Washington, DC 20003 Phone: (202) 546-3202; (800) 785-3246 E-Mail: washington_office_gb@brethren.org Website: www.brethren.org, keyword: Washington Office