The Executive Council (6-02) “opposes unilateral military action against Iraq for the sole purpose of overthrowing the regime of Saddam Hussein, and supports efforts to implement UN resolutions on weapons inspections and military sanctions rather than the use of force to address the problem.”

The Episcopal Church calls on the U.S. Government and our leaders to actively pursue alternatives to the use of force in Iraq, recognizing the potential of diplomatic actions as a legitimate avenue for peace. In the absence of diplomacy and multilateral support, the U.S. risks alienating many of our closest allies and threatens to destabilize the entire Middle East-particularly setting into motion cycles of violence and retaliation. The Church recognizes the need for Iraqi leadership to be held accountable for its serious abuse of human rights and to comply with UN resolutions that obligate Iraq to destroy its weapons. Initiatives that serve global security needs include: rigorous inspections for biological and chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction, the implementation of an effective enforcement of the military embargo, and the development of additional options to contain and deter aggressive Iraqi action.

The serious impact of a U.S. decision to wage war requires that we engage in full public discourse, including a discussion of whether armed force offers the only alternative to disarm Iraq. The use of massive military force to remove the current government could have incalculable effects on the Iraqi people, half of whom are children and already suffer under existing sanctions. The United Nations reports that these sanctions have already contributed to the deaths of one million Iraqi civilians.

Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate, S.Res. 32 would provide full support for UN weapons inspectors to facilitate their ongoing disarmament work; and require renewed Congressional authorization before the President could use military force to disarm Iraq in absence of broad support of the international community. Senate consideration of this resolution would allow the U.S. time to explore all peaceful means to disarmament. A recent Carnegie Endowment for International Peace study states that the inspection process has not been exhausted.

Please call your Senators at 1 800-513-3472 today and request that S.Res. 32 be brought to the Senate floor for debate. The Episcopal Church advocates the peaceful resolution of this international crisis.

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