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Marking the 5th Anniversary of the
Iraq War on 19 March 2008
Anthea Cox, Methodist Co-ordinating
Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice: “The war in Iraq has been far
more costly in terms of lives lost than anyone could have imagined. We are
acutely aware of the appalling death toll of Iraqi civilians as the country
struggles to contain the violence. We are mindful of British troops currently
serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Chaplains who serve alongside them. We
are aware of the costly service that they undertake. Our hearts go out to all
families who have lost loved ones in the past five years.
“The kidnapping and tragic death of Archbishop Rahho illustrates the extreme danger faced by Christians
and other minorities in Iraq today. We are enormously concerned for the Iraqi
Christian community and will continue to uphold them in our prayers.
“Following the failure to find weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq many more people now question whether the invasion was
justified and whether this was the only course open to us. It is right that
such questions should still be asked today. Iraq has shown us that a military
response that seeks to exert control can easily bring further chaos. We need to
learn lessons regarding the role of diplomacy, the relationship between the
intelligence services and government policy-making and the importance of
regional alliances in addressing conflict and post-conflict reconstruction.
“The UK must continue to work with the people of
Iraq and offer support. We would ask those with influence to consider how
regional powers might be brought together to work on solutions and how to
provide security for minorities. We also need to consider how external powers
can best help to foster national reconciliation and strengthen political
institutions in Iraq.”