Iraq War 'Morally and Legally Justifiable,' Says Dissenting Anglican Bishop
Episcopal News Service. March 28, 2003 [2003-069-2]
A senior Anglican bishop, Peter Forster, has broken ranks with most of his colleagues and with the archbishop of Canterbury to voice support for the US-led military action in Iraq. Forster, who is the bishop of Chester in northwestern England, described the military action as 'both morally and legally justifiable.'
'Although there were and are risks in taking this action, I believe that there were greater risks in permitting the regime of Saddam Hussein to remain in power,' he said. Forster's spokesman, David Marshall, told ENI: 'The bishop has supported military action in principle for months, but he wanted to make his position clear after the outbreak of war.'
The statement put him at variance with Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, who, in a joint statement with Roman Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor before the outbreak of hostilities, had challenged the 'moral legitimacy' of a war with Iraq.
Since the start of fighting, Williams has continued to indicate reservations about the action. In an article for The Times (London) on March 25, Williams said 'the greatest casualty away from the arena of war [has been] a coherent approach to international law and to the maintenance of alliances.'
He told his fellow Anglican primates around the world on March 24: 'We must pray that, whatever the many and varied misgivings expressed, the military action now being undertaken may help to bring about a more stable future for the whole region, with justice for all.'
The Church of England's house of bishops declared in January that 'a conclusive case has yet to be made in favor of military action,' although since the statement, two diocesan bishops in addition to Forster have expressed dissenting views.
John Oliver, the bishop of Hereford, called much anti-war sentiment 'simplistic and naive.' Pointing to the brutality of Saddam Hussein's regime, he said, 'If one tries to weigh the balance in terms of innocent suffering, war can still be made to look like a good bet.'
Michael Nazir-Ali, the bishop of Rochester, said national governments could be justified in taking action 'if the Security Council produces irrefutable evidence of a material breach of its own resolutions but fails to act.'