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Unfortunate Developments in Afghanistan and Iraq
and
a Ray of Hope in Israel / Palestine
Statement by the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
~December 11, 2003~
This week's unfortunate developments in both Afghanistan and Iraq
compel people of good will to question once again the
Administration's policies, as well as the moral and ethical
foundations of its plans. A ray of hope in this sea of darkness,
oddly enough, comes out of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict, and the
Administration's approach to it, with the development of the Geneva
Accord.
Two separate U.S. bombing campaigns in Afghanistan have resulted in
the death of several children. Such tragic incidents remind us that,
while the U.S. planned and executed the war in Afghanistan with
precision, it left the aftermath of the war underplanned and
underfunded, and therefore subjected the innocent people of that
beleaguered nation - and our own military personnel - to unnecessary
danger.
With regard to Iraq, the latest development concerns the arrogance and
lack of foresight with which the U.S. government is pursuing economic
reconstruction. News reports tell us that the Defense Department is
now excluding from the bidding process on necessary and lucrative
contracts all corporations from countries that did not support the war
in that country.
At a time when the U.S. should be intentionally and vigorously seeking
a multi-lateral approach to rebuilding Iraq, it instead compromises
the success of reconstruction by repeating the unilateral policies
that have created worldwide ill will toward our country. As
indicated by initial reactions from some of our closest allies, this
latest move by the Pentagon will undermine the hopes for international
fence mending and future good will that could be the result of fair
and honest competition and cooperation.
In contrast to these developments, the Administration's policy toward
the Israeli - Palestinian conflict offers some hope to the people of
the Middle East. The U.S. promotion of the "road map" to peace is an
ongoing motivation to all parties to seek resolution to this
long-standing conflict. Of more immediate reassurance is the
Administration's implicit support, through the State Department, of
the Geneva Accord.
The National Council of Churches encourages serious consideration of
the Geneva Accord as a means of moving toward a peaceful and just
resolution to the long-standing conflict in Israel / Palestine. In
the troubled history of this conflict, the NCC has always advocated
for a resolution that guarantees the security concerns of the Israelis
and the right to a state for the Palestinians. Such a resolution
includes the promotion of a shared Jerusalem, in which the tradition
and promise of the three monotheistic faiths indigenous to the area
are honored and the religious communities and sacred sites are
protected.
The Geneva Accord offers a glimmer of hope at a time when the darkness
of despair seems to be overcoming the entire Middle East. We
therefore implore all parties involved in the conflict, and especially
our own government, to continue to see the possibility of peace
inherent in this Accord and work to make this possibility a reality.
And we urge the U.S. government to rethink its ill-conceived policies
and plans for reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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