The Jamaica Council of Churches takes note of the current focus of the world's attention on the threat of war with Iraq and is very concerned about this prospect. While acknowledging the role which Iraq has played as a major power broker in the Middle East, as well as its use of this power against its more vulnerable neighbours, nevertheless, the Council is of the opinion that the seeming commitment of some to imminent war is premature.

We affirm the position taken by the United Nations in sending in arms inspectors and support the view that any decision concerning action against Iraq must await the results of such investigations and must be the result of collective action by this international body. Notions of the sovereign right of any single nation, however powerful, to declare war, are untenable. So too is the notion of the right to pre-emptive strike and the creation of a regime change in Iraq which is not initiated by the people of Iraq, a serious threat to international relations and global peace, as these would set a dangerous precedence. The interest of peace is best served by collective action arrived at through a process of dialogue and consultation leading to consensus and mutuality of interest, rather than the exercise of coercive power or threat of reprisal.

The Council believes that there is still need for clarification of issues related to the threat of this war. The world is still to see the convincing evidence which links Iraq with the Al Queda terrorists and the existence of the weapons of mass destruction which are proffered as the primary motivating force for the declaration of this war. Further work needs to be done to clarify relationship between economic interests in Iraq oil reserves and the motivating force behind the war intent. So too is there a need to clarify the extent to which religious difference between the western mind-set and the Muslim world-view are at issue. In this regard, there is a concern about the role which sections of the Christian community are playing in providing religious and moral justification for this impending war.

The Council further takes note of the fact that recent war experiences have involved heavy civilian casualties but that these civilian deaths have not been accounted for or the statistics released. It is clear that any war with Iraq will see untold human suffering and loss of life which must constitute a serious deterrent to any contemplation of war. So too must the cost in material resources be weighed against the background of the real and current struggle for survival which so many in the world are facing.

The Jamaica Council of Churches re-states its commitment to the pursuit of peace as an imperative of the Christian vocation and mission in the world and rejects suggestions that a war with Iraq is the way to establish peace in that region of the world and to make the world a place of peace. We join with other Christian bodies and institutions worldwide, which are calling for a re-thinking of the commitment to the war with Iraq. We urge the government to be cautious about enlisting its support for the war effort, and we urge all Christians to continue to pray for peace and to become instruments of peace in our daily encounters.