From THE TELEGRAPH UK.COM

Unilateral attack on Iraq backed by Church

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent(Filed:
12/11/2002) 

British and American plans to attack Iraq if Saddam
Hussein breaches the latest United Nations resolution
could be justified even without the further backing of
the UN, the Church of England decided last night.

In an unexpected rebuff to a number of senior bishops,
a move to insist that only the UN could permit war was
rejected by the Church's General Synod by 141 to 110
votes after speakers argued that it would play into
Saddam's hands.  But the synod, which is meeting in
London this week, nevertheless decided that any
unilateral military action risked undermining the
credibility of the UN. 

It unanimously approved a resolution saying that war
should be a last resort.

In an often passionate debate, speaker after speaker
warned of the dangers of war, but several argued that
the Church would display a lack of understanding of
international politics if it tried to tie the hands of
Western governments.

The Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Rev Colin Bennetts, who
introduced the debate, was critical of American
foreign policy and suggested that the new UN
resolution could make war more likely. "Some of us
cannot avoid the suspicion that this crisis may have
been somewhat manufactured to suit American foreign
policy interests," he said.

==============================

Hmmmmm?  Are the CE bishops saying "Lets you and him
fight?"

Charles


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your site
http://webhosting.yahoo.com