In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Pope Says Self Defense Legitimate Against Terror
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Pope Says Self Defense Legitimate Against TerrorPhotos Reuters Photo By Philip PullellaVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul (news - web sites), in his clearest words ever on terrorism, said on Tuesday that while the international community had a right to defend itself against attacks, an entire nation could not be singled out for blame.Although he did not specifically mention the United States or Afghanistan (news - web sites), he clearly was referring to the international situation and his concern that innocent people are caught up in attempts to punish terrorists and thwart future attacks.In his message for the Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, he also condemned as a ``patent falsehood'' claims by terrorist groups that they act on behalf of the poor and the oppressed and rejected the concept of killing in the name of God or religion.He urged forgiveness as the long-term exit from the terrorism tunnel but the 16-page document also condemned the ''death wish that feeds'' terrorist organizations, saying it sprang from hatred and ``fanatic fundamentalism.''The annual message, released this year exactly three months after the September 11 attacks against the United States, is traditionally sent by Vatican (news - web sites) embassies around the world to heads of state, government and international organizations.The Pope said the attacks against the United States had stirred ``the depths of my heart'' like the evil caused by the Nazi and communist totalitarianism of his youth in Poland.Self defense against terror attacks was legitimate, but the offended parties had to be careful to single out individuals responsible rather than entire groups or religions for blame.``There exists therefore a right to defend oneself against terrorism, a right which, as always, must be exercised with respect for moral and legal limits in the choice of ends and means,'' he said.``The guilty must be correctly identified, since criminal culpability is always personal and cannot be extended to the nation, ethnic group or religion to which the terrorists may belong,'' he said.The United States and its allies have been waging a war in Afghanistan to oust hard-line Taliban rulers for sheltering Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), the militant Islamic leader blamed for the attacks.At a news conference, Vatican officials could not be drawn on whether the Pope was urging Washington to stop the campaign or keep it from spreading to other countries.``The Pope sees the situation through the eyes of afflicted populations...not the destiny of a government or its policy or objectives, but rather the civilian population,'' said Monsignor Frank Dewane of the Vatican's Justice and Peace department.``YOU SHALL NOT KILL IN GOD'S NAME''The Pope, who next month will host an international summit of religious leaders to pray for peace in the Italian city of Assisi, said: ``You shall not kill in God's name.''``Consequently, no religious leader can condone terrorism, and much less preach it,'' he said, repeating the Church's teaching that a war on religious grounds is unacceptable.``It is a profanation of religion to declare oneself a terrorist in the name of God,'' he said.He said Jewish, Christian and Islamic leaders should now ''take the lead in publicly condemning terrorism and in denying terrorists any form of religious or moral legitimacy.''International cooperation to fight terrorism had to include political and economic steps to relieve oppression, he added.``The recruitment of terrorists in fact is easier in situations where rights are trampled upon and injustices tolerated over a long period of time,'' he said.But he sternly said the terrorist claim to be acting on behalf of the poor is a patent falsehood.''However difficult, forgiveness was the only lasting solution.``Forgiveness in fact always involves an apparent short-term loss for a real long-term gain. Violence is the exact opposite; opting as it does for an apparent short-term gain, it involves a real and permanent loss,'' he said. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011211/wl/attack_pope_dc_3.html
Comments
Ignis Natura Renovatur Integram