Canada's bishops join anti-war chorus

Sydney
9 February 2003

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Canada's bishops join anti-war chorus

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Canada's bishops join anti-war chorus

The bishops of Canada issued a statement against military intervention in Iraq "just when UN inspectors have begun to work effectively" and opposing "the increasing resort to military means to resolve entrenched conflicts".

They said the West should remember that it "undermined the pursuit of democracy" by its support for Saddam's regime until 1990 and then inflicted harsh sanctions at great cost to ordinary people.

The bishops wrote that war would not bring disarmament, but increased loss of life, extreme hardship for the people of Iraq and result in extremism.

Instead of war, the Canadian bishops urged

* persisting with the inspections in "a vigorous strategy of containment to prevent" Iraq retaining or acquiring weapons of mass destruction

* ridding the entire Middle East of weapons of mass destruction

* ending comprehensive economic sanctions against Iraq

* new political and diplomatic engagement to enhance civil society and human rights