The war on Iraq

1. The war on Iraq Was there a better way? Ann Wansbrough 4 April 2004 (revised)

2. On Palm Sunday, 4 April 2004, Rev. Dr. Ann Wansbrough and Bishop Tom Frame debated “The war on Iraq: was there a better way”. The debate was sponsored by the West Australian Council of Churches. This was Ann’s presentation in the debate.

3. Those of us who marched knew There was a better way

5. Those of us who sent letters to UN members knew There was a better way

7. Those of us from the churches • Knew Christ called us all to a better way • Exemplified by the Decade to Overcome Violence

10. DOV principles • Respect for the opponent/everyone as human beings

11. DOV principles • Care for everyone involved in a conflict

12. DOV principles • Refusal to harm, damage or degrade people/living things/the earth

14. DOV principles • If suffering is inevitable, willingness to take it on oneself rather than to inflict it on others; not retaliating to violence with violence

16. DOV principles • Belief that everyone is capable of change

18. DOV principles • Appeal to the opponents’ “humanity”

19. DOV principles • Recognition that no one has a monopoly on truth, thus aiming to bring together our “truth” and the opponents’ “truth”

20. DOV principles • A belief that means are the ends-in-making, so the means have to be consistent with the ends

22. DOV principles Openness rather than secrecy

23. Question for audience Which of these principles were breached • In the lead up to the Iraq war • During the war • In the time since “mission accomplished” (May 2003) What was the evidence at the time? Now?

24. Question for Bp Tom Frame • Which of the DOV principles were breached in the assumptions that you made in your article arguing that the war on Iraq was just?

25. Uniting Church Assembly July 2003 2. In response (to the DOV) to commit to: a) Work together for peace, justice, and reconciliation at all levels: local, regional, and global; b) Embrace creative approaches to peace building which are consonant with the spirit of the gospel

26. c) Interact and collaborate with local communities, secular movements, and people of other living faiths towards cultivating a culture of peace; d) Empower people who are systemically oppressed by violence, and to act in solidarity with all struggling for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation; and

28. e) Repent together for our complicity in violence, and to engage in theological reflection to overcome the spirit, logic, and practice of violence.

29. 6 (b) Reliance on weapons for peace and security can never achieve a just and lasting peace. Security achieved through armament is sustained by fear of the enemy and can never see the world reconciled.

31. The role of the church • NEVER to reinforce the great powers of this world • ALWAYS to take the side of those who lack power, and whose voice is silenced in the debate • ALWAYS to challenge the ideology of violence • ALWAYS to expose the misuse of power

32. Alternative discourse • Challenging assumptions • Evaluating claims • Offering alternative ideas • Drawing on biblical and theological tradition to challenge worldly values and to assert a different way • Developing principles to guide advocacy • Acting for peace and resisting violence

33. The war on terrorism

34. Whose terrorism? • War on terrorism does not make sense Gore Vidal: You can’t declare war on an abstract noun

35. Putting terrorism in perspective • Some of today’s “terrorists” were allies of the USA yesterday eg Osama Bin Laden • More people die everyday as a result of the unpayable debt of the poor countries, than have died in the last ten years as a result of “terrorist” attacks • In the USA, there are more murders in one year than the total number of people killed by terrorist actions in the last decade

37. Proper response to terrorism • Terrorist acts are crimes • Terrorist crimes should be investigated and the offenders prosecuted • Don’t give them weapons and training in the first place • Don’t continue the arms trade that leaks weapons to them

38. Ray Williamson, General Secretary of the NSW Ecumenical Council, this week: if we want to stop the violence in the Middle East: “the most effective beginning would be to address the primary violence against the Palestinian people - that is, to reverse the military occupation and confiscation of their land. That would be the single most constructive step to reduce ‘terrorism’ in the world”.

39. Self-defence

40. Pre-emptive strike • Self defence is normally in response to actual attack – pre-emption only in exceptional circumstances • Onus on those who initiate pre-emptive strike to show that the threat is real, significant and imminent • Governments have a responsibility to know and to get it right • If there is not a real threat, pre-emptive strike is military aggression

41. ADF view of war In recent wars the civilian population has borne the brunt of violence. Australian Aerospace Doctrine Chapter 4 Conflict

42. All wars involve violence and, in the 20th century, that violence hurt civilians as well as combatants. In fact civilians bore the brunt of violence. At the start of the century one civilian died in war for every eight soldiers, sailors or airmen who were killed in the same conflict. At the end of the Century those figures had been reversed. The terrible consequences of war means that, for civilised countries, it is the last resort when all other alternatives have failed. Australian Aerospace Doctrine Chapter 4 Conflict

43. Just war requires • Self defence in response to actual attack • Legitimate authority • Right intention • Probability of success • Proportional to attack • Goal of achieving peace based on justice • Not harm non-combatants • Last resort • CLEAN HANDS – SINCERITY-HONESTY

44. USA tactics of “shock and awe” and “overwhelming force” - Is this consistent with “self-defence”? • Do we want to live in a world where pre-emptive strike is the norm?

46. Weapons of mass destruction

48. USA Violence • Weapons research, manufacture, deployment, threat of use, actual use: • Weapons of mass destruction – nuclear, chemical, biological – by far the biggest owner of these • “Tactical” nuclear weapons • Weapons of indiscriminate destruction – land mines, DU weapons, booby traps, cluster bombs • Large scale conventional weapons • Conventional weapons

50. Iraq’s wmds -USA had the receipts • USA government licensed delivery to Iraq from 1985-1991 of chemical warfare precursors, chemical warfare equipment, biological warfare materials (incl. Anthrax, botulum toxin) and missile fabrication and guidance equipment • Western nations supported Iraq against Iran, but use it as evidence of Saddam Hussein’s aggression • George Bush Snr refused to impose sanctions when Iraq gassed the Kurds