WAR IN IRAQ: POPE SEEKS QUICK END TO CONFLICT,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 001505 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI); T FOR U/S BOLTON PARIS PLEASE PASS TO U/S BOLTON E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: PREL IZ IZ VT VTPREL SUBJECT: WAR IN IRAQ: POPE SEEKS QUICK END TO CONFLICT, CENTRAL ROLE FOR UN -------------- SUMMARY -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 01505 01 OF 02 090534Z ¶1. SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF WAR IN IRAQ, POPE JOHN PAUL II HAS MADE PERSISTENT APPEALS FOR PEACE IN IRAQ AND EXPRESSED CONTINUED CONCERN FOR CIVILIANS AND MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES CAUGHT UP IN THE FIGHTING. HOWEVER, CONTRARY TO MANY MEDIA REPORTS, NEITHER THE POPE NOR SENIOR VATICAN OFFICIALS IN A POSITION TO SPEAK AUTHORITATIVELY FOR THE HOLY SEE HAVE EXPLICITLY CONDEMNED THE WAR IN IRAQ AS IMMORAL OR ILLEGAL. THE POPE AND SENIOR HOLY SEE OFFICIALS WILL CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT IN FAVOR OF PEACE UNTIL THE WAR ENDS, AND WILL LIKELY SUPPORT A CENTRAL ROLE FOR THE UN IN THE POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION AND GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ AS A MEANS TO RESTORE "THE RULE OF LAW" IN INTERNATIONAL LIFE. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- OPPOSED TO IRAQ AND WAR AS MEANS OF RESOLVING PROBLEMS -------------- -------------- ¶2. THE VATICAN'S INITIAL REACTION AFTER THE OUTBREAK OF WAR WAS BALANCED, REGRETTING THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE UNSC RESOLUTIONS AND THE ABANDONMENT OF THE INSPECTION PROCESS. AS VATICAN SPOKESMAN NAVARRO-VALLS STATED MARCH 20, "THE HOLY SEE HAS LEARNED WITH DEEP PAIN OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LATEST EVENTS IN IRAQ. ON THE ONE HAND, IT IS TO BE REGRETTED THAT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT DID NOT ACCEPT THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE APPEAL OF THE POPE HIMSELF, AS BOTH ASKED THAT THE COUNTRY DISARM. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS TO BE DEPLORED THAT THE PATH OF NEGOTIATIONS, ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL LAW, FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION OF THE IRAQI DRAMA HAS BEEN INTERRUPTED. A FEW DAYS LATER, HE ELABORATED THE HOLY SEE'S POSITION OBSERVING: "WHEN WAR, AS IN THESE DAYS IN IRAQ, THREATENS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 VATICA 01505 01 OF 02 090534Z THE FATE OF HUMANITY, IT IS EVEN MORE URGENT TO PROCLAIM WITH A DETERMINED VOICE, THAT PEACE ALONE IS THE WAY TO CONSTRUCT A MORE JUST AND UNITED SOCIETY . . . VIOLENCE AND ARMS CAN NEVER RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF MEN." ¶3. FOR HIS PART, THE POPE HAS FOCUSED MOST OF HIS PUBLIC MESSAGES ON PRAYER FOR AN EARLY END TO THE WAR AND CALLS FOR ALTERNATIVE MEANS TO RESOLVE INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE WAR'S OUTBREAK, THE POPE SAID, "RIGHT NOW WE ARE ALL ASKED TO WORK AND PRAY SO THAT WAR DISAPPEARS FROM THE HORIZON OF HUMANITY." MOST RECENTLY, ON APRIL 6, HE SAID: "GOD WILLING, MAY THIS CONFLICT END SOON AND OPEN THE WAY TO A NEW ERA OF FORGIVENESS, LOVE AND PEACE, " ADDING, "MY THOUGHTS TURN, IN PARTICULAR, TO IRAQ AND TO ALL WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE WAR THAT RAGES THERE. I THINK ESPECIALLY OF THE UNARMED CIVILIAN POPULATION THAT IS SUBJECTED TO A HARSH TEST IN VARIOUS CITIES." -------------- PUSH FOR FORCE OF LAW OVER LAW OF FORCE -------------- ¶4. BEYOND THE VATICAN'S FOCUS ON AN EARLY END TO THE WAR AND A CONCERN FOR THE HUMAN SUFFERING, THE VATICAN HAS ALSO BEEN ADVOCATING A RENEWED FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND A RESTORATION OF THE CENTRALITY OF THE UNITED NATIONS AS THE MEANS TO RESOLVE INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS. FOR EXAMPLE, FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN LOUIS TAURAN IN A MARCH 26 INTERVIEW WITH AN ITALIAN CATHOLIC WEEKLY ASSERTED: "IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO RECALL THE IMPORTANCE OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 VATICA 01505 01 OF 02 090534Z LETTING THE FORCE OF LAW PREVAIL OVER THE LAW OF FORCE. THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT SADDEN ME. FIRST, ABOVE ALL, DISRESPECT FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW. WE HAVE A JURIDICAL PATRIMONY THAT IS PARTICULARLY COMPLETE AND REFINED. WE HAVE EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO RESOLVE DISPUTES AMONG PEOPLES IN A PEACEFUL WAY. I ASK MYSELF IF ALL THE RESOURCES OF INTERNATIONAL LAW WERE USED. THE SECOND THING THAT SADDENS ME IS TO SEE THE INABILITY OF MAN TO DRAW LESSONS FROM RECENT HISTORY. TO HAVE WEAKENED THE UNITED NATIONS IS A VERY SERIOUS THING. IT IS THE ONLY MEANS WE HAVE FOR REGULATED THE LIFE OF NATIONS. IF WE DO NOT FIND A BETTER WAY, THEN WE NEED TO PROTECT THIS MEANS." ¶5. THE VATICAN'S PERMANENT OBSERVER AT THE UN, ARCHBISHOP CELESTINO MIGLIORE REINFORCED THIS CONCERN APRIL 1 WHEN HE STATED AT THE OPENING OF THE COMMITTEE ON DISARMAMENTS SESSION IN NEW YORK: "THE WORLD ONCE AGAIN FINDS ITSELF LISTENING TO THE MOUNTING RUMBLE OF ARMS. WE ARE CONFRONTED BY TWO OPPOSING PERSPECTIVES: THE FIRST IS BASED ON THE CONVICTION THAT CONFLICTS CAN BE RESOLVED THROUGH A DETERMINED AND BROAD-BASED WILLINGNESS TO NEGOTIATE EFFECTIVELY IN LIGHT OF THE WAYS AND WISDOM OF THE LAW; THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8652 PAGE 01 VATICA 01505 02 OF 02 090534Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DS-00 EAP-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 VCE-00 NEA-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00 DHS-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TEST-00 T-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 G-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /001W -------------- 52B8CF 090534Z /38 O 090531Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 001505 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI); T FOR U/S BOLTON PARIS PLEASE PASS TO U/S BOLTON E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: PREL IZ IZ VT VTPREL SUBJECT: WAR IN IRAQ: POPE SEEKS QUICK END TO CONFLICT, CENTRAL ROLE FOR UN SECOND PERSPECTIVE MAINTAINS THAT, IN THE FACE OF ELUSIVE AND RE-EMERGING THREATS, FORCE IS MORE EFFICACIOUS AND DIRECT. HOWEVER, THE LATTER APPEARS TO ONLY REDUCE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN DISARMAMENT RATHER THAN ENHANCE IT, INDUCING NEGATIVE REPERCUSSIONS ON MULTILATERALISM. A UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 01505 02 OF 02 090534Z CLEAR MESSAGE IN FAVOR OF THE FORCE OF LAW AND NOT THE LAW OF FORCE SHOULD EMERGE FROM THIS SUBSTANTIVE SESSION. -------------- -------------- CONCERN FOR 'CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS" AND TERRORISM -------------- -------------- ¶6. THE FINAL CONSISTENT PREOCCUPATION OF THE HOLY SEE IN THE AFTERMATH OF HOSTILITIES HAS BEEN TO AVOID PERCEPTIONS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD OF A "CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS" BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM, THE WEST AND THE ARAB WORLD. THEY FEAR THAT SUCH PERCEPTIONS, IN TAURAN'S WORDS, "WILL GENERATE EVERY EXTREMISM POSSIBLE, INCLUDING THAT OF ISLAM. WE ALL NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS. IT WILL CAUSE TERRORISM. AND INFLICT A HUGE WOUND TO THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM, BECAUSE, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD THERE'S THE TENDENCY TO IDENTIFY THE WEST WITH CHRISTIANITY." NAVARRO-VALLS ADDED HIS QUESTIONING TO TAURAN'S CONCERNS ASKING RHETORICALLY APRIL 2: "THE INCREASE OF THE NUMBER OF DEATH OF BOTH SIDES POSES A GRAVE MORAL QUESTION. WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF DEAD ON BOTH SIDES, ALONG WITH THE SUFFERING, DESTRUCTION AND HATE, WHEN THERE ARE OTHER PEACEFUL MEANS TO RENDER HARMLESS THE THREAT POSED BY IRAQ?" -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. ALTHOUGH JOURNALISTS AND COMMENTATORS HAVE ATTRIBUTED ALL MANNER OF POSITIONS ON THE WAR IN IRAQ TO THE POPE, THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 VATICA 01505 02 OF 02 090534Z HOLY SEE, AND THE VATICAN, THE POPE AND OFFICIALS AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK DURING THIS PERIOD HAVE NEVER CONDEMNED THE WAR AS IMMORAL. THOUGH ITS LEGALITY HAS BEEN QUESTIONED PUBLICLY, THE POPE HIMSELF HAS NOT SUGGESTED THE WAR IS ILLEGAL. INDEED, AS SOME COMMENTATORS HAVE NOTED, THE VATICAN DURING THE KOSOVO CAMPAIGN WAS ACTIVELY TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION, SO THEY WILL PROBABLY AVOID CLEAR- CUT CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF THE WAR. IN GENERAL, SINCE THE FINAL WEEK BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF WAR, THE VATICAN HAS EXERCISED GREATER DISCIPLINE IN PUTTING OUT ITS MESSAGE THAN PRIOR TO THE WAR. WE EXPECT THIS TO CONTINUE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SEMI-OFFICIAL VATICAN SOURCES SUCH AS THE VATICAN'S NEWSPAPER, OSSERVATORE ROMANO AND VATICAN RADIO -- WHICH CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AN OUTLET FOR STILL STRONG ANTI- WAR SENTIMENTS. AS THE STORY SHIFTS TO HUMANITARIAN RELIEF AND INTERNAL REFORM, HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THERE IS CONSIDERABLE COMMON GROUND TO BUILD A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE. NICHOLSON UNCLASSIFIED > 2003VATICA01505 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED