Bishop urges no military action in Iran until other options exhausted

Published: 2007-11-09

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Although "the prospect of Iran developing nuclear weapons is unacceptable," the U.S. government must exhaust every option before considering military action to resolve the situation, the chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops' Committee on International Policy told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "The use of force must always be a last resort," Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., said in a letter to Rice made public Nov. 9. "In addition, the failure to be transparent about one's nuclear energy program is not grounds for military intervention, nor is the possession of nuclear weapons or the issuing of bellicose statements," he added. But Bishop Wenski noted that the Iranian government "continues to ignore its international responsibilities" regarding nuclear weapons. "Such resistance undermines the stability of the region and the pursuit of nuclear nonproliferation," he said. In U.S. efforts to ensure Iran's compliance with international law in developing its nuclear energy program, "dialogue is essential," the bishop said. "It is not a reward for good behavior, but rather is a means to achieve important ends."

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