Don't Bomb Iraq

War is never a good thing. But sometimes it is necessary. Those who make the argument that war must always be avoided have to ignore the many circumstances in which — as the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it — war is “the right and duty” of the state.

That said, Christians uniquely understand just how horrible war is — and it is our duty to remind the world that the dignity of man, made in God's image and redeemed by the Incarnation, can never be taken lightly. War's destruction is sick and revolting, intolerable to those who love God and know the worth of the men and women he created in his image.

Yes, war is sometimes necessary, but, as the Catechism also says, “all citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war” (for the whole section on war, read Nos. 2307-2317).

A year ago this Sept. 11, an attack was launched against the United States and an enemy forced us to respond to a very real, very present, threat.

It was possible then to look at the preconditions for a just war and see how U.S. action fit them. They are, according to the Catechism:

E ” The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave and certain.” After the leveling of the Twin Towers and the directive to kill Americans, this was the case.

E “All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective.” The Taliban were not going to relinquish the killers.

E “There must be serious prospects of success.”

E “The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.”

These last two can now be evaluated by looking at Afghanistan itself — reformed, recovering and rebuilding.

But what about Iraq?

Is the “damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations … lasting, grave and certain”? If it is, Vice President Dick Cheney, in his recent speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, didn't say so. That speech, considered one of the most thorough treatments of the case for invasion yet, is vague on the main question: Is Iraq a threat to our national security?

“We now know,” said Cheney, “that Saddam has resumed his efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.” He cites recent defectors and says “many of us are convinced that Saddam will acquire nuclear weapons fairly soon.” Cheney said Iraq is “enhancing its capabilities in the field of chemical and biological agents.”

Iraq has “resumed efforts to acquire” nuclear weapons. “Many of” the administration's members are “convinced” that he will some day. He is also “enhancing capabilities” in chemical and biological weapons. Are the threats scary? You bet. Do they constitute “lasting, grave, certain damage?” They do not. Why aren't we considering attacking nations where the weapons threat is more certain? North Korea? China?

In light of that, the rest of Cheney's case fails to convince us that a violent invasion of Iraq is the unavoidable response of the United States at this juncture.

To make matters worse, the United States hasn't been very just to Iraq in the years since the Gulf War. The sanctions that have been in place against the country — sanctions that the Vatican has repeatedly condemned — have greatly worsened the suffering of the Iraqi people while not easing Saddam's hold on the country at all.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said as much shortly after President Bush's inauguration. “The message I've consistently heard is that overdoing it with the sanctions gives [Saddam] a tool that he is using against us, and really is not weakening him,” said Powell.

In justice, we ought to end sanctions against Iraq on a quicker timetable. In prudence, we should continue to aggressively police the country's war preparations. But we should not invade Iraq.

Let's take to heart the words of the Catechism: “Because of the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to prayer and to action so that the divine Goodness may free us from the ancient bondage of war.”