Fearing genocide against Christians, Vatican approves Iraq air strikes despite peace policy

[DonViejo]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Fearing a genocide of Christians, the Vatican has given its approval to US military air strikes in Iraq — a rare exception to its policy of peaceful conflict resolution.

The Holy See’s ambassador to the United Nations, Silvano Tomasi, this weekend supported US air strikes aimed at halting the advance of Sunni Islamic State (IS) militants, calling for “intervention now, before it is too late”.

“Military action might be necessary,” he said.

While the Vatican vocally disapproved of the US-led campaign in Iraq in 2003 and the 2013 plan for air strikes on Syria — fearing both might make the situations worse for Christians on the ground — fears of ethnic cleansing by Islamists has forced a policy change.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/13/fearing-genocide-against-christians-vatican-approves-iraq-air-strikes-despite-peace-policy/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. It's all about whose ox is being gored, isn't it?

[Hugabear]

2. Guess they don't mind when Muslims are being slaughtered in Palestine

If the residents of Gaza were primarily Christian, I wonder if the Vatican would have a different attitude.

[msongs]

3. the ten commandments don't apply to the pope's "foreign" policy nt

[RufusTFirefly]

4. Blessed are the Airstrikers? n/t

[happyslug]

5. All Silvano Tomasi has said the UN should do SOMETHING, that is NOT the same as military action.

http://www.news.va/en/news/iraq-abp-tomasi-on-popes-appeal-to-uns-ban-ki-moon

Now, the UN is limited to what it can do, much like the Vatican is limited to what it can do in such situations but BOTH can ask for help in resolving the problem and when it is needed ask each other for help AND also help from the rest of the world.

Here is the paragraph where Force is said to be "approved" by the Vatican:
'

In the various articles making up the Charter, Archbishop Tomasi notes, it is foreseen “that there might be occasions in the life and in the relations between states when dialogue, negotiations, fail and large numbers of people find themselves at risk: at risk of genocide, at risk of having their fundamental, their basic human rights violated. In this case, when every other means has been attempted, article 42 of the Charter of the United Nations becomes possible justification for not only imposing sanctions of economic nature on the state or the group or the region that violates the basic human rights of people, but also to use force. All the force that is necessary to stop this evil and this tragedy.”

In simple terms, force is ONE aspect that can be used when all other efforts have failed.

[tom_kelly]

6. Well, I guess we can strike em now n/t