Catholic World News News Feature
Jesuit Journal Condemns US on Iraq May 15, 2003
The authoritative Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica has published an inflammatory editorial asserting that the war in Iraq was not morally justified.
Civilta Cattolica -- whose articles are edited in advance by the Vatican Secretariat of State-- had argued persistently against the US position prior to the war. Now, in the aftermath of the American-led intervention, the Jesuit magazine charged that the triumphant Western powers are more interested in Iraqi oil reserves than in the reconstruction of the country.
Observing that no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq, the magazine reached the "clear" conclusion that "there were not sufficient causes for going to war against Iraq; that country did not constitute a real danger to the US and its allies."
Although the war has now ended, the magazine said, "peace has not yet come."
The Jesuit journal charged that since the end of the military conflict, the US and its allies "seem very interested in exploiting Iraqi oil, and much less interested in the reconstruction of the country."
With the unilateral action against Iraq, Civilta Cattolica argued, "the old world order was broken to pieces." The US, by arguing the case for "pre-emptive war," has "caused a crisis in international law." The editorial said that there is now an urgent need to re-establish international legal standards.
Civilta Cattolica asserted that there is now clear "evidence" that the US "cannot construct an Iraqi government under their political control." Having been a party to the conflict, which was seen by the Muslim world as "an attack against Islam," the US should now step aside and "help Iraqis to reach an agreement" on their own government, the magazine said.
The Jesuit journal-- which, in the weeks prior to the war, had issued an inaccurate warning that thousands of civilians would be killed in a massive bombing campaign-- now said that "the most famous victim of the war" was the UN.
