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Viewing cable 02VATICAN4398, ONE YEAR AFTER SEPTEMBER 11: HOLY SEE FM WELCOMES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
02VATICAN4398 2002-09-10 16:38 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Vatican
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 004398 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S-CKELLY, EUR/WE-MENNUTI NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM IZ IS
SUBJECT: ONE YEAR AFTER SEPTEMBER 11:  HOLY SEE FM WELCOMES 
GLOBAL CONDEMNATION OF TERROR; CAUTIONS AGAINST ACTION IN 
IRAQ WITHOUT U.N. 
 
REF: VATICAN 4388 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  04398  01 OF 02  110710Z 
1. (U) SUMMARY:  IN AN INTERVIEW PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 10, 
VATICAN FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN LOUIS TAURAN PRAISED THE 
UNIVERSAL CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM THAT HAS FOLLOWED 
SEPTEMBER 11, WHILE CAUTIONING THAT ANY DECISION TO USE FORCE 
AGAINST IRAQ MUST BE TAKEN WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE UNITED 
NATIONS.  HE OBSERVED THAT ACTION AGAINST IRAQ MUST BE 
WEIGHED AGAINST THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ, 
COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, AND GLOBAL STABILITY, BUT DID NOT 
RULE OUT MILITARY ACTION IF IT OCCURED IN A UN FRAMEWORK.  IN 
HIS STRONGEST WARNING, TAURAN STATED THAT "ONE CANNOT COMBAT 
EVIL WITH ANOTHER EVIL, ADDING EVIL TO EVIL." TAURAN POINTED 
TO THE POPE'S DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE IN ASSISI AND HIS 
EFFORTS TO PROMOTE INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AS HELPING TO 
SPREAD THE VIEW THAT RELIGION SHOULD NEVER BE USED TO JUSTIFY 
VIOLENCE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------ 
GOODNESS FROM EVIL 
------------------ 
 
2. (U) IN A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW PUBLISHED ON THE EVE OF 
THE SEPTEMBER 11 TERRORIST ATTACKS, HOLY SEE FOREIGN MINSTER 
JEAN-LOUIS TAURAN PROVIDED A BROAD ASSESSMENT OF THE HOLY 
SEE'S VIEW OF THE POST-SEPTEMBER 11 INTERNATIONAL LANDSCAPE, 
ENCOMPASSING THE WAR ON TERRORISM, THE SITUATION IN IRAQ, THE 
MIDDLE EAST, AND RELATIONS BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND THE 
MUSLIM WORLD.  LOOKING BACK ON SEPTEMBER 11, TAURAN SAID THE 
"ABOMINABLE ACTION" HAD LED TO THREE IMPORTANT CHANGES IN 
INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDES:  FIRST, IT HAD LED TO A UNIVERSAL 
CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM; SECOND, IT HAD CONTRIBUTED TO 
BETTER JURIDICAL DEFINITIONS OF TERRORISM; AND THIRD, IT HAD 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        VATICA  04398  01 OF 02  110710Z 
HELPED FOCUS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION ON THE CAUSES OF 
INHUMANE VIOLENCE.  FURTHERMORE, TAURAN ASSERTED THAT 
SEPTEMBER 11 HAD STRENGTHENED THE RECOGNITION AMONG LEADERS 
OF ALL FAITHS AND NATIONS THAT "RELIGION CAN NEVER BE USED TO 
JUSTIFY TERRORISM AND THAT ALL BELIEVERS HAVE THE COMMON 
RESPONSIBILITY TO DISARM HATRED."  HE NOTED THAT THERE HAS 
BEEN A CHORUS OVER THE PAST YEAR AMONG BELIEVERS OF ALL 
FAITHS -- PARTICULARLY CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS, AND JEWS -- THAT 
LIFE IS SACRED AND COMES FROM GOD.  AS A RESULT, RELIGIOUS 
LEADERS HAVE STEPPED UP EFFORTS TO MAKE CLEAR THAT ALL 
VIOLENCE IS CONTRARY TO GOD'S LAW, AND MUST BE RESOLVED 
THROUGH DIALOGUE AND JUSTICE. 
 
------------------ 
DON'T ISOLATE IRAQ 
------------------ 
 
3. (U) TURNING TO IRAQ, TAURAN EXPRESSED THE HOLY SEE'S 
CONCERN ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF MILITARY ACTION, BUT, 
SIGNIFICANTLY, LEFT THE DOOR OPEN TO THE USE OF FORCE IF IT 
OCCURRED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS.  TAURAN 
OBSERVED THAT THE HOLY SEE ALWAYS FAVORED DIALOGUE, AND 
CAUTIONED AGAINST ISOLATING IRAQ.  "OBVIOUSLY, YOU CANNOT 
COMBAT EVIL WITH ANOTHER EVIL, HEAPING EVIL UPON EVIL," 
TAURAN STATED, QUOTING FROM THE HOLY SEE'S "JUST WAR" 
DOCTRINE.  HOWEVER, TAURAN CONTINUED, "IF REFLECTING 
INTERNATIONAL LAW AND IN PARTICULAR RESOLUTIONS OF THE UN 
SECURITY COUNCIL, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY JUDGES IT 
OPPORTUNE TO RESORT TO PROPORTIONATE USE OF FORCE, SUCH AN 
ACTION MUST TAKE PLACE WITH A DECISION TAKEN BY THE UN, AFTER 
HAVING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CIVIL 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        VATICA  04398  01 OF 02  110710Z 
POPULATION OF IRAQ, COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, AND GLOBAL 
STABILITY."  ULTIMATELY, HE QUESTIONED WHETHER THE TYPE OF 
OPERATIONS NOW BEING CONSIDERED WOULD GIVE RISE TO LASTING 
PEACE, ADDING, "WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO CONFUSE JUSTICE 
WITH VENDETTA AND ENSURE THAT ENTIRE POPULATIONS DO NOT PAY 
FOR THE CRUELTY OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTACKS." 
 
------------------------------------- 
FIGHTING TERROR IS NOT FIGHTING ISLAM 
------------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) ASKED ABOUT THE HOLY SEE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISLAM 
AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, TAURAN SAID IT WAS NOW EVEN MORE CLEAR 
THAT FIGHTING AGAINST TERROR DOES NOT MEAN FIGHTING ISLAM. 
HE NOTED THAT AMERICAN BISHOPS MADE THIS CLEAR AFTER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 
 

 2002VATICA04398 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED