NCC launches scathing attack on Bush administration By Parker T. Williamson The Layman Online Monday, November 18, 2002 TAMPA, Fla. – A resolution and "background statement" adopted Nov. 16 by the National Council of Churches opened with kudos to George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush for respecting "religious diversity" in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy, but it was all downhill after that. In cluster-bomb fashion, the NCC's 19-page diatribe attacked the President and his administration for a multitude of sins against the world. Blaming the victim, the NCC declared that the president's policies "rhetorically divide nations and peoples into camps of 'good and evil,'" and that his public statements have been guilty of "demonizing adversaries or enemies." It suggests that the Bush administration itself, may be causing much of the animus that breeds violent attacks on this country. Attempts by the Bush administration " to organize international support for a new military action against Iraq, with the objective of overthrowing its current government, raise particular alarm," said the NCC. Squandering peacemaking The NCC said that the United States experienced unprecedented, worldwide expressions of compassion in the aftermath of Sept. 11. This multicultural, multilateral good will was George W. Bush's opportunity to forge a lasting peace, said the NCC, but he squandered it in his rush to wage "a war on terrorism." By responding to the September 11 assault "predominantly through military means," the administration chose "a course of action that seems to have encouraged an escalation of violence in many parts of the world." Ignoring individual rights Of particular concern to the NCC is its belief that the Bush administration has capitalized on America's post-Sept. 11 anxieties by running roughshod over individual civil rights. It accuses the U.S. government of beefing up "surveillance powers to intelligence agencies," engaging in "racial profiling," detaining people "in secret," and committing a "grave breach of international humanitarian and human rights law" in its imprisonment of Afghan combatants in Guantanamo, Cuba. 'Unilateralism' and 'Militarism' The NCC accused the Bush administration of using Sept. 11 as an excuse for amassing "an unprecedented global military presence" that has drained the nation's ability to pay for welfare programs at home and abroad. It decried the administration's alleged propensity to go it alone against its "perceived adversaries" rather than working in concert with other nations. "U.S. unilateralism is accompanied by increasing militarism," said the resolution. Lone Ranger politics The NCC said that the administration is not only dominating the world militarily, but that it "increasingly attempts to do so politically." The resolution's long list of political sins perpetrated by the U.S. government includes: "choosing not to pay fully its dues to the UN; expressing reservations about the International Criminal Court; refusing to ratify a number of international instruments such as the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the Landmine treaty, and a number of human rights conventions; adopting a critical posture on UN negotiations on small arms; withdrawing from the 1972 Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty and refusing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change; withdrawing from the World Conference against Racism early in September 2001; and seeking selectively to implement UN Security Council resolutions." The NCC resolution castigates the United States for unilateral actions that "undermine international institutions like the UN built to serve the common good," and for leading many in the world to "perceive us as gaining advantages for ourselves at their expense." The U.S. government's refusal to surrender its sovereignty to multi-national institutions is, according to the NCC, a major cause of global insecurity that "risks provoking further attacks on our homeland and our people." The Presbyterian presence Presbyterians actively promoted the resolution. Rev. Belle Miller McMaster, former director of the denomination's Social Justice and Peacemaking Unit during the James Brown administration, made the motion to approve the resolution and remained on the podium to defend it throughout the debate. The Rev. Vernon Broyles, associate director of the Division of National Missions, moved to the microphone on two occasions. When a delegate questioned the resolution's phrase that the US "dominates the world militarily," Broyles replied that he had researched the matter on the Internet and discovered that "the US has plans for full spectrum dominance in the air, sea, land and in communication. They may not be there yet," said Broyles, "but they sure are working on it." Later in the discussion, a delegate suggested that the resolution might include some commendation for the president in light of the administration's role in negotiating a unanimous UN resolution calling for arms inspections in Iraq. Again, Broyles jumped to his feet declaring that he could not go along with any commendation for Bush. "He wouldn't have done it if the world, especially Russia and France, hadn't pushed him into it," Broyles said. The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General Assembly, left the meeting before the vote was taken. But on Thursday, Nov. 21, Kirkpatrick attended an executive board meeting of the NCC in which he commended Robert Edgar, NCC general secretary, for orchestrating opposition to "Bush's rush to war." Lobbying Congress and congregations What will the National Council of Churches do with this resolution? Its recommendations include "that this statement be communicated to President George W. Bush and Members of Congress," and that NCC leaders "seek a meeting with the president and other appropriate leaders in his administration to communicate the concerns discussed in this statement." During discussions about the resolution, several NCC delegates lamented the fact that their congregations show little concern over these alleged atrocities by the Bush administration. In fact, polls indicate that the president has received widespread approval for his "war on terror" policies. Implying that such sentiments reflect congregational ignorance, several recommendations attached to the resolution call for educating church members. One recommendation urges denominational leaders to "continue to intensify their work to help their congregations understand and express concerns … using this statement as a resource." Several recommendations call on denominational agencies, like the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Washington Lobby, to work together under NCC coordination to challenge the Bush administration politically by adopting a "covenant" that will advocate for a change in United States public policies. Some delegates expressed their unhappiness that Congress and the American people did not seem greatly influenced by the NCC's public statements. That concern was addressed by United Methodist Church Bishop Melvin Talbert when, on two occasions, he sought assurances that a tag line would be added to the document, asserting that when the NCC issues a statement, it is speaking for 50 million Americans. "50 million people, I said 50 million! I want to be sure that gets in there," he said.

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