Neo-Conned!: Just War Principles: A Condemnation of War in Iraq

508 Pages·2005·3.33 MB·English

by  Bishop Hilarion Capucci

W
hat the experts are saying . . .
about neoconned
“This trenchant collection of articles about the U.S. war in the Middle East is a ful-
fillment of my dearest wish: seeing the left-wing and the right-wing, religious and non-
religious, Christian and Muslim opposition to the war united in one front against
one mutual enemy. It will be the cornerstone of every future realignment of anti-war
forces in the U.S. and elsewhere. Read it, buy it, steal it, take it to your heart . . . !”
—Israel Adam Shamir
Journalist and author of Flowers of Galilee, Jaffa, Israel
“Jude Wanniski’s analysis is superb, yet highly sobering. Citing authorities from
the U.S. and abroad, Wanniski documents over two decades of lies, distortions and
half-truths about Saddam Hussein and Iraq. From our self-serving interference in the
80s, through to the present, deadly quagmire in Iraq, Wanniski makes clear that our
government was the real warmonger in the Persian Gulf region, not Baghdad’s. Many
supporters of the war will claim that the recent failure to find WMD in Iraq repre-
sents only an unfortunate detail in an otherwise justifiable invasion and occupation.
Sadly, it appears we have been duped all along.”
—Mark Gery
Clinical therapist and Iraq Analyst & Researcher, Education
for Peace in Iraq Center
“Neo-CONNED! is a first-of-a-kind compilation of essays that dissects from every
vantage point – left, right, and center – the disastrous war in Iraq. It is essential read-
ing for anyone who still lacks just the right argument to convince that pro-war uncle
of yours. And for those who understand the importance for moving our nation from
its present disastrous path of empire-building to one of a democracy that respects
international law, Neo-CONNED! will give you a heaping plate of food for thought
and ideas for action.”
—Medea Benjamin
Co-Founder, Iraq Occupation Watch
“The subject of this book is extremely important and urgent. The range of opinions
represented is impressive.”
—Uri Avnery
Israeli journalist, writer, peace activist, and founding member,
Gush Shalom (Peace Bloc), Independent Peace Movement
“At last, a truly universal critique of the war in Iraq. As an Australian I always ask
myself the question: why did we Australians join in? After reading Neo-CONNED!
and Neo-CONNED! Again I find myself even more convinced that we were never giv-
en an adequate answer to that question.”
—Anthony Cappello
Researcher, Victoria University, Australia; Director, Freedom
Publishing; and National Secretary, Thomas More Centre
“Although one need not agree with everything in these volumes, they show that
there are orthodox Catholics who do follow the just-war doctrine of the Catholic
Church, who are not knee-jerk super patriots. Germans Catholics have been blasted
for not doing enough to oppose Hitler’s wars, and Pope Pius XII has been implicated,
rightly or wrongly. Let it be known, then, that not only did Pope John Paul II oppose
the invasion of Iraq, but so did a good number of American orthodox Catholics. Pos-
terity must know.”
—Dale Vree
Editor, New Oxford Review
“Shakespeare has Hamlet remark that ‘’Tis dangerous when the baser nature
comes Between the pass and fell incensed points Of mighty opposites.’ How much
more dangerous when mighty opposites stop dueling each other and turn their sights
on a common target. The essays in these volumes, ranging from the best minds of the
liberal left to the great wisdom of the orthodox right, take on the war in Iraq, closely
examining the ideas and motives of its planners, promoters, and defenders. Here is
genuine intellectual diversity and hard analysis – fascinating and required reading.”
—David Allen White, Ph.D.
Professor of English, U.S. Naval Academy
“Forged in the fires of urgent necessity, this magnificent compilation of essays from
assorted thinkers, warrior and peacemaker alike, shall stand for generations to come
as a lighthouse upon the shoals which threaten to destroy whatever is left of both our
Christian civilization and even of any merely human ideals of justice and decency
in the conduct of the domestic and international affairs of states. A thorough read-
ing and understanding of this book will crystallize for the confused or unconvinced
reader the knowledge that practically all-modern warfare (particularly the Ameri-
can war of Imperium against Iraq) is not only criminal but also contrary in toto to
both Christian morality and to the ratio recta of the natural man. As a Catholic and
an American I am profoundly grateful to Light in the Darkness Publications for the
timely publication of this polemical masterpiece.”
—Doug Bersaw
Educator, Publisher and President of Loreto Publications,
and Prefect of the Third Order of the Slaves of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
“Having served in the army throughout WW2, half of the time as a Japanese POW,
I have known some of the suffering involved in war, and its even sadder residue of
hatred. From the beginning of the Gulf War, never for a moment has it seemed to me
that it was in fact a just war. And if it was not a just war, it was an unjust war. These
books support that judgment, and I wish them every success.”
—Fr. Hugh Simon-Thwaites, S.J.
Onetime POW in Changi, Singapore
“IHS Press does a tremendous good work by its efforts to disseminate the riches of
the social teachings of the Catholic Church. Of course, that wisdom is not limited to
economics. It is essential to fidelity to our common patrimony within Western civi-
lization, our citizenship in the United States, and our duty to God and His Church
to be informed about the issues of our day. Regardless of one’s position on the so-
called “war on terrorism” and its prosecution in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the streets of
America, this collection of essays published by IHS’s imprint, Light in the Darkness
Publications, should offer anyone in pursuit of intellectual honesty an opportunity
to weigh the arguments so seldom heard in the media, from politicians, and at the
coffee counter.”
—Fr. Lawrence C. Smith
Catholic priest
“‘Might is not Right’ is the saucy, Chestertonian title of Fr. J. C. Iscara’s essay
against ‘preventive’ war. What an awesome burden for the modern-day statesmen to
carry, determining when it is licit, even imperative, to go to war, and still observing
both international law and the higher moral law, which is also that of God. Warmly
recommended!”
—Fr. Stephen Somerville, S.T.L.
Chaplain, Regina Mundi Retreat Centre,
Queensville, ON, Canada
“It’s a monumental collection; fascinating reading.”
—Judge (ret.) Albert C. Walsh
Author and Editor, Christian Political Action Newsletter
“From a remarkable array of different perspectives, a remarkably singular message:
this war is illegal, ill-conceived, immoral, wrong. The reasons why – political, moral,
and religious – are cogently spelled out in this powerful set of essays. Taken together,
they are a cause for hope and a sign of peace. May these volumes be disseminated far
and wide.”
—Michael J. Baxter, C.S.C., Ph.D.
Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame and
National Secretary, Catholic Peace Fellowship
“An excellent guide for students and all who are concerned with the current state
of affairs. Too many books, essays, and articles offer one approach – either political,
historical, or theological. This volume brings together the most recent news about
the lies told regarding the reasons to go to war with Iraq, an astute history of the re-
gion, and a comprehensive just-war theology – the first I’ve seen that is used to argue
against a war! A thoroughly religious book, with no smack of piety. Brilliant! The wid-
est representation of voices against this war I have seen. Strong, very strong.”
—Sheila McCarthy
Assistant Editor, The Catholic Worker and author,
The Veneer of Normalcy
“These often-profound and challenging essays meet an urgent need for analyses
inspiring resistance to a moral catastrophe that can otherwise last years or decades.”
—Daniel Ellsberg
Political activist and Senior Research Associate,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for
International Studies
“War should always be the last option; however, the fight to prevent war must be
on-going and everlasting. Neo-CONNED! is a must read.”
—Danny K. Davis
U.S. Congressman (D-Il., 7th District)
“Like many, I fear that the impact on the interests, well-being, and safety of the
American people as a result of the ill-conceived, poorly executed and baseless devas-
tation of Iraq will be highly negative, pervasive and of long duration. While it is too
late to prevent the invasion, steps to reduce the length and savagery of the occupation
can be taken. A public correctly informed on the political, economic, moral, and mili-
tary issues involved will be far better able to play a role in ending the catastrophe – or
at least limiting its effects. These volumes, filled with valuable insights from knowl-
edgeable experts, can make a major contribution to achieving those desirable goals.”
—Ambassador Edward L. Peck (ret.)
Former Chief of Mission in Iraq and Deputy Director,
Cabinet Task Force on Terrorism, Reagan White House
“Pope John Paul II warned President George W. Bush that his intended war in
Iraq would violate the ancient Church doctrine of just war. American Catholics, torn
between the teachings of their faith and loyalty to their elected president, prayed that
post-war Iraq would somehow justify the blood their sons and daughters in uniform
were about to shed. Those prayers will not be answered. Christian faith insists that
accurate moral calculation is not beyond human capability. As Neo-CONNED! dem-
onstrates, the flawed moral and political basis for this war was knowable and known
by lay and religious experts long before the Iraq Survey Group admitted in 2004 that
Iraq had destroyed its WMD arsenal thirteen years before. Light in the Darkness
Publications has compiled a remarkable resource for every believer. The 84 distin-
guished contributors document in compelling detail that failure to meet the moral
standards for just war are devastating for the interests of the victimizers as well as
the victims. No reader of this crucial book will ever again mistake political loyalty for
moral duty.”
—John Brady Kiesling
Foreign Service Officer (ret.)
“What has happened to this once good and great nation? Where are the cham-
pions of liberty and human dignity? Where are the cries of moral outrage from the
pulpits? Where are the thundering editorials lamenting the intrusions on civil liber-
ties? Where are the voices of tenured academics calling our government to task for
launching imperialist doctrines? Largely absent. It is for this reason that these two
volumes are so welcome – because they champion Truth and Justice, and unite men
and women of diverse political and religious beliefs in a crusade to end the killing of
Iraqis and Americans in an unjust and unwinnable war.”
—Paul Findley
Former U.S. Congressman (R-Il., 20th District)
“American Christians will find much food for thought in Neo-CONNED! Theo-
logians explain Christian just-war doctrine while laymen – politicians, academics,
military and intelligence officers, journalists, international lawyers and ordinary citi-
zens – examine the policies, beliefs and misrepresentations of the neoconservatives
who led our country to invade Iraq. Sobering stuff for those who inhabit this ‘one
nation under God’ and believe that it can do no wrong.”
—David MacMichael, Ph.D.
Former Analyst and Estimates Officer, CIA National
Intelligence Council
“This eclectic collection fills a large gap in the literature about the Iraq War by fo-
cusing squarely on the themes of religion and morality. The thoughtful and heartfelt
commentaries it contains should offer great insight and inspiration to the millions of
Americans who seek ethical answers to contemporary questions of war and peace.”
—Greg Thielmann
Foreign Service Officer (ret.); former Director, Strategic,
Proliferation, and Military Affairs Office, State Department
Intelligence Bureau; and member, President’s Advisory
Council, Wesley Theological Seminary
“This volume is an unwelcome but necessary dose of reality to the euphoria of
Washington fantasies. Rather than content themselves with White House spin and
propaganda these authors take an objective look at the facts surrounding the misad-
venture in Iraq and offer invaluable, incisive analysis. Read at your own risk.”
—Larry Johnson
Former Deputy Director, U.S. State Department’s Office of
Counter Terrorism and former Central Intelligence Agency
analyst and professional, Directorates of Operations and
Intelligence
“A magnificent achievement. This book provides unimpeachable arguments against
the Iraq war, written by the most authoritative and most knowledgeable experts on
the political, moral and religious dimensions of the issue.”
—John Laughland, Ph.D.
British lecturer, author, and journalist
“These books really uncover the vested interests behind this war, and thus deserve
a wide readership.”
—Gearoid Mag Eochadha
Journalist, Irish Family, Ireland
“The world is a complicated place, and simple solutions rarely work. This is espe-
cially true where war is concerned. The rights and wrongs of warfare, self-defense,
humanitarian intervention, and preemptive action, the way in which war is actually
waged and on whose authority, do not lead to simple answers. These two volumes cov-
er the ground, offering wide and differing perspectives, from numerous ideological,
theological, and philosophical points of view. It is perhaps impressive that whichever
route they take, they all tend to come to a similar conclusion to mine: that the Bush
attack on Iraq was illegal, immoral – and what’s more – stupid. A comprehensive col-
lection of arguments that should be read by anyone who wants to pontificate on Iraq
– but maybe a little too long and heavy for some talk show hosts to read.”
—Ian Williams
UN correspondent, The Nation, and author, The UN for
Beginners
“Neo-CONNED! says it all. This is a fascinating guidebook to the strange world of
a handful of intriguers and the lies and deceits they utilized so skillfully and so ruth-
lessly in order to set the stage for the senseless and shameful no-win war in Iraq that
will haunt America for generations.”
—Michael Collins Piper
Author of Final Judgment and The High Priests of War;
veteran journalist on America’s Israel policy; and
correspondent, American Free Press
“Neo-CONNED! is made up of a host of Catholic theologians and intellectuals who
offer a deep insight into the Church’s teachings on matters of war; metaphysical and
moral problems linked to the Just War Doctrine; Higher Law; Conscience; and the
stance of the Catholic and Roman Church towards the present war against Iraq in
particular. Collectively they condemn the immorality of the neocon notion of “pre-
ventive war” in the light of the Church’s teachings.”
—Susanne Scheidt
Journalist, Arab Monitor
“These collections are an extremely valuable contribution both to the debate on
the real causes of the Iraq War, and to the literature on the theory and practice of just
war in history and in the world today.”
—Anatol Lieven, Ph.D.
Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, Washington, D.C.
“Any person seriously interested in peace should read this book. It provides a major
and much-needed intellectual counterweight to the voices that recklessly plunged
our world into the war on Iraq. The just-war doctrine was twisted and misinterpreted
by the proponents of invading Iraq. If the just-war doctrine is to survive as a set of real
analytical and moral principles, this book will help.”
—Bill Quigley, Ph.D.
Professor of Law, Loyola University New Orleans and Editor,
Blueprint for Social Justice
“What do the editors of The Wanderer and of the Houston Catholic Worker have in
common? And Noam Chomsky and Patrick Buchanan? They with dozens of others
oppose Bush’s war in Iraq, seeing the country conned by his neoconservative advisers
and their compatriots in the press and think tanks. These disparate essays are held
together by the book’s focus on traditional just-war theory. Some of the essays are
gems and others not. The writers are weighted to the conservative side, but the book
as a whole should provide a body blow to the pretensions of the neoconservative war
hawks that are now dominant in the country.”
—Charles K Wilber, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor, Department of Economics, Notre Dame;
Fellow, Kellogg Institute for International Studies; and Fellow,
Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
“Here at last are the voices of Christendom, of constitutional government, and of
common sense that so far have been sadly missing from American public discourse
on the aggression in Iraq.”
—Clyde Wilson, Ph.D.
Professor of History, University of South Carolina and Director
of Programs and Publications, League of the South Institute
“Neo-CONNED! is a welcome addition to the debate surrounding American policy
in Iraq. In part, the book provides a particular Catholic theological perspective on
the morality of the Iraq war. Just-war theory regarding the resort to, and the conduct
of war emanated from the writings of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and more
recently from the Catholic Bishops of America regarding the morality of nuclear
strategy based on the threat to conduct total nuclear war. In a similar but more direct
and incisive fashion, this book provides a critique of Washington’s Iraq policy from a
Catholic moral tradition. Was this war necessary? Is the use of military force propor-
tionate to the situation on the ground? Does U.S. bombing discriminate adequately
between combatants and civilians? Contributors to the book examine various dimen-
sions of the Iraq crisis that led the Bush Administration to wander so far from its ini-
tial objective of bringing regional stability and democratic justice to the Middle East,
into what now appears to be an immoral military and social quagmire.”
—George C. Thomas, Ph.D.
Allis Chalmers Distinguished Professor of International
Affairs, Marquette University, Milwaukee
“President Bush claims that his re-election demonstrates that there is no need to
hold administration officials accountable for mistakes or misjudgements in connec-
tion with Iraq. The more than 80 essays and interviews contained in Neo-CONNED!
and Neo-CONNED! Again present overwhelming evidence that this statement is as
wrongheaded as the administration’s earlier assertion that we know where the weap-
ons are or its premature claim of mission accomplished. These two remarkably com-
prehensive volumes make it clear that no election can erase the fact that the war in
Iraq is a moral disgrace and a strategic blunder. An unwillingness to hold both mem-
bers of the administration and ourselves accountable for it will simply set the stage for
a similar tragedy in the future.”
—George W. Downs, Ph.D.
Dean of Social Science and Professor of Politics,
New York University
“Neo-CONNED! is the most thorough compendium of writing from the left and
the right, to date, on the principles and stratagems which led us into the Iraq war, and
which threaten to keep us there for years to come. What is most useful to those of
us working within the field of Catholic higher education is the project’s emphasis on
the application of Catholic social teachings on war and peace, and the application of
same to the Iraqi situation. This is an invaluable reader and would make for an excel-
lent textbook, as well.”
—Gerard O’Sullivan, Ph.D.
Dean of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of English
and Religious Studies, Felician College, New Jersey and co-
author with Edward S. Herman, The “Terrorism” Industry:
The Experts and Institutions that Shape Our View of Terror
“This volume shows the continued vitality of the just-war tradition as a source of
theological and moral criticism of current American involvement in Iraq. Insofar as
religious America is in great need of liberation from the political-religious hypocrisy
of neoconservative thought, this volume provides just the right antidote.”
—Hayward R. Alker, Ph.D.
John A. McCone Professor of International Relations,
University of Southern California
“Neo-CONNED! brilliantly exposes the illegality, immorality, and danger of Bush’s
new ‘preventive war’ doctrine.”
—Marjorie Cohn, J.D.
Professor of Law, Thomas Jefferson School of Law;
Executive Vice President, National Lawyers Guild; and U.S.
representative to the American Association of Jurists
“Neo-CONNED! is hardly a good foot soldier in the neoconservative battle for
America’s soul. On the one hand, this readable study turns neoconservative politics
against itself, using conservative political principles to undermine the Bush Admin-
istration’s struggle for world democracy. On the other hand, it draws from the rich
tradition of Christian just-war theory to expose the immorality of the less-than-holy
crusade that the neoconservatives have disingenuously launched in Iraq. In short,
this lively book is an intellectually engaging exercise in political and religious icono-
clasm.”
—Michael G. Long, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Peace Studies and Assistant Professor
of Religious Studies, Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania
“Anyone who continues to harbor the illusion that Bush’s war in Iraq is morally
legitimate will be shaken by the essays in this volume. They demonstrate conclusively
that the criteria for just war, notably those derived from Roman Catholic doctrine,
have been violated in every instance by the actions of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell
and their lieutenants. A few of the earlier chapters minimize Saddam’s responsibility
for successive aggressions against Iran and Kuwait, and attribute the Iraq operation
to a conspiracy hatched by a small coterie of neoconservatives committed to protect-
ing Israel and spreading democracy in the Middle East. Like most conspiracy theories,
it credits the neocons with considerably more influence than they actually possess.
The important contribution of this book is its series of learned essays on just war and
the failure of America’s invasion of Iraq to comply with its requirements.”
—Milton J. Esman, Ph.D.
John S. Knight Professor Emeritus, International Studies,
Cornell University
“The little-known statements by Bishop (Eparch) Botean deserve to be highlight-
ed. They express a principled opposition to service in the Iraq war. Many another
American bishop (certainly not all) would wish to state something similar, were it
not so difficult to avoid misinterpretation and unwarranted crises of conscience on
the part of members of the armed forces who find themselves now in a tough defen-
sive position.”
—Paul Misner, Ph.D.
Professor of Theology, Marquette University and
author, Social Catholicism in Europe: From the Onset of
Industrialization to the First World War
“This volume is a true goldmine of critical analysis of current U.S. foreign policy
that focuses on the illegality of the armed military intervention in Iraq. It includes
numerous excellent essays that draw upon the long theological/philosophical tradi-
tions of the Roman Catholic Church to challenge the legitimacy and legality of the
invasion. Perhaps the most original contribution is the long interview with Jude Wan-