Thursday, March 20, 2003
September 11 group condemns Iraq war
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A group representing family members of
victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks Thursday
condemned the U.S. strikes against Iraq.
Quoting late civil rights leader The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., the group -- called the "September 11th Families
for Peaceful Tomorrows" -- described the attacks
as "illegal, immoral, and unjustified" in a statement sent
to the media and families of September 11 victims.
The group said it was speaking out because members know how
it feels to experience "shock and awe," and it does not
want "other innocent families to suffer the trauma and
grief that we have endured."
The United States has promised its punishing early
airstrikes on Baghdad will instill "shock and awe," a war
plan with roots in a new doctrine called "rapid dominance,"
introduced in the military theory book "Shock and Awe" and
embraced by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
The group also condemned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's
regime, and expressed support and concern for American
troops.
But it said the resulting civilian deaths of a war on Iraq
and the consequences of destroying Iraq's environment and
infrastructure could lead to many deaths in the future.
The group's members have traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan;
Hiroshima, Japan; and Baghdad to express their opposition
to military aggression as a response to terrorism.
Others disagreed with the group.
"I think it's very important that you support our troops
even if you don't support the war," said Jill Pall, who
founded Adam's Angels in memory of Adam Rand, a friend who
died on September 11.
"Contrary to popular opinion, Saddam Hussein has not had
three months to disarm, he has had 10 years and that's
important for the public to know," Pall said. "We aren't
rushing into this. If we don't act now to get these weapons
away from him, we are going to suffer."
Bruce DeCell, a member of the 9-11 Family Coalition,
said: "I want the soldiers over there to know that I
support them because they're in harm's way. But I really
think that instead of sending them all there, he (President
Bush) should strengthen our borders and worry about our
airports and homeland security. He should be spending the
money he's spending in the Middle East on our country."
DeCell's son-in-law died in the September 11 attack while
working at the World Trade Center.
Source: CNN
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ttp://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/03/20/sprj.irq.911.reaction/ #
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