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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.
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