ONE YEAR AFTER SEPTEMBER 11: HOLY SEE FM WELCOMES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 004398 SIPDIS DEPT FOR S-CKELLY, EUR/WE-MENNUTI NEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM IZ IS SUBJECT: ONE YEAR AFTER SEPTEMBER 11: HOLY SEE FM WELCOMES GLOBAL CONDEMNATION OF TERROR; CAUTIONS AGAINST ACTION IN IRAQ WITHOUT U.N. REF: VATICAN 4388 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 04398 01 OF 02 110710Z ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: IN AN INTERVIEW PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 10, VATICAN FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN LOUIS TAURAN PRAISED THE UNIVERSAL CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM THAT HAS FOLLOWED SEPTEMBER 11, WHILE CAUTIONING THAT ANY DECISION TO USE FORCE AGAINST IRAQ MUST BE TAKEN WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS. HE OBSERVED THAT ACTION AGAINST IRAQ MUST BE WEIGHED AGAINST THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ, COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, AND GLOBAL STABILITY, BUT DID NOT RULE OUT MILITARY ACTION IF IT OCCURED IN A UN FRAMEWORK. IN HIS STRONGEST WARNING, TAURAN STATED THAT "ONE CANNOT COMBAT EVIL WITH ANOTHER EVIL, ADDING EVIL TO EVIL." TAURAN POINTED TO THE POPE'S DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE IN ASSISI AND HIS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AS HELPING TO SPREAD THE VIEW THAT RELIGION SHOULD NEVER BE USED TO JUSTIFY VIOLENCE. END SUMMARY. -------------- GOODNESS FROM EVIL -------------- ¶2. (U) IN A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW PUBLISHED ON THE EVE OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS, HOLY SEE FOREIGN MINSTER JEAN-LOUIS TAURAN PROVIDED A BROAD ASSESSMENT OF THE HOLY SEE'S VIEW OF THE POST-SEPTEMBER 11 INTERNATIONAL LANDSCAPE, ENCOMPASSING THE WAR ON TERRORISM, THE SITUATION IN IRAQ, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND RELATIONS BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND THE MUSLIM WORLD. LOOKING BACK ON SEPTEMBER 11, TAURAN SAID THE "ABOMINABLE ACTION" HAD LED TO THREE IMPORTANT CHANGES IN INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDES: FIRST, IT HAD LED TO A UNIVERSAL CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM; SECOND, IT HAD CONTRIBUTED TO BETTER JURIDICAL DEFINITIONS OF TERRORISM; AND THIRD, IT HAD UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 VATICA 04398 01 OF 02 110710Z HELPED FOCUS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION ON THE CAUSES OF INHUMANE VIOLENCE. FURTHERMORE, TAURAN ASSERTED THAT SEPTEMBER 11 HAD STRENGTHENED THE RECOGNITION AMONG LEADERS OF ALL FAITHS AND NATIONS THAT "RELIGION CAN NEVER BE USED TO JUSTIFY TERRORISM AND THAT ALL BELIEVERS HAVE THE COMMON RESPONSIBILITY TO DISARM HATRED." HE NOTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CHORUS OVER THE PAST YEAR AMONG BELIEVERS OF ALL FAITHS -- PARTICULARLY CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS, AND JEWS -- THAT LIFE IS SACRED AND COMES FROM GOD. AS A RESULT, RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAVE STEPPED UP EFFORTS TO MAKE CLEAR THAT ALL VIOLENCE IS CONTRARY TO GOD'S LAW, AND MUST BE RESOLVED THROUGH DIALOGUE AND JUSTICE. -------------- DON'T ISOLATE IRAQ -------------- ¶3. (U) TURNING TO IRAQ, TAURAN EXPRESSED THE HOLY SEE'S CONCERN ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF MILITARY ACTION, BUT, SIGNIFICANTLY, LEFT THE DOOR OPEN TO THE USE OF FORCE IF IT OCCURRED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS. TAURAN OBSERVED THAT THE HOLY SEE ALWAYS FAVORED DIALOGUE, AND CAUTIONED AGAINST ISOLATING IRAQ. "OBVIOUSLY, YOU CANNOT COMBAT EVIL WITH ANOTHER EVIL, HEAPING EVIL UPON EVIL," TAURAN STATED, QUOTING FROM THE HOLY SEE'S "JUST WAR" DOCTRINE. HOWEVER, TAURAN CONTINUED, "IF REFLECTING INTERNATIONAL LAW AND IN PARTICULAR RESOLUTIONS OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY JUDGES IT OPPORTUNE TO RESORT TO PROPORTIONATE USE OF FORCE, SUCH AN ACTION MUST TAKE PLACE WITH A DECISION TAKEN BY THE UN, AFTER HAVING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CIVIL UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 VATICA 04398 01 OF 02 110710Z POPULATION OF IRAQ, COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, AND GLOBAL STABILITY." ULTIMATELY, HE QUESTIONED WHETHER THE TYPE OF OPERATIONS NOW BEING CONSIDERED WOULD GIVE RISE TO LASTING PEACE, ADDING, "WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO CONFUSE JUSTICE WITH VENDETTA AND ENSURE THAT ENTIRE POPULATIONS DO NOT PAY FOR THE CRUELTY OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTACKS." -------------- FIGHTING TERROR IS NOT FIGHTING ISLAM -------------- ¶4. (U) ASKED ABOUT THE HOLY SEE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISLAM AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, TAURAN SAID IT WAS NOW EVEN MORE CLEAR THAT FIGHTING AGAINST TERROR DOES NOT MEAN FIGHTING ISLAM. HE NOTED THAT AMERICAN BISHOPS MADE THIS CLEAR AFTER UNCLASSIFIED > 2002VATICA04398 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED