Kirkpatrick denies statement he signed calls for war-crimes trials of Bush, Blair
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, December 17, 2003
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick is telling Presbyterians who contact his office that a World Council of Churches resolution that he signed never called for President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to face war-crimes trials in the invasion of Iraq.
The statement, adopted by the WCC’s Central Committee of which Kirkpatrick is a member, clearly and emphatically stated that the leaders of the war against Iraq should be prosecuted for conducting an illegal war. Bush and Blair, even though unnamed in the resolution, would unquestionably be the prime candidates for war-crimes prosecution.
Furthermore, Kirkpatrick’s own media outlet, the Presbyterian News Service, viewed the WCC statement as a call for bringing Bush and Blair to trial before an international court.
In a Sept. 2 article posted on the PCUSA Web site, the PCUSA News Service said, “In its statement on Iraq, issued Sept. 1, the WCC’s central committee also implied that U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair might appropriately be charged with war crimes for their ‘illegal resort to war’ on Iraq.”
That story also addressed the implications of church leaders accusing Bush and Blair of conducting an allegedly illegal war by quoting a WCC official as saying precisely what Kirkpatrick denies.
The news service said, “‘To do this [bring Bush and Blair to trial], the U.N. Security Council would have to take action against two of its permanent members, which is not likely,’ Peter Weiderud, director of the council’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, conceded. ‘But there is a need to look at the totality of the situation.'”
That same story quoted Kirkpatrick as saying that he was “deeply grateful” for the WCC resolution, which “gives us some understanding of what we’re to do next, because we have been so concerned with trying to stop the war.”
After the PCUSA story, Kirkpatrick issued no public statement contesting the WCC resolution. But later stories by The Layman Online and The Layman generated some angry responses to the stated clerk because he had signed a resolution that, by implication, called for the prosecution of Bush and Blair.
One Presbyterian e-mailed Kirkpatrick the following message:
“I find your support for the World Council of Churches’ statement that Bush/Blair should face war-crime trials to be absolutely abhorrent. I am frankly amazed that you are allowed to spend our congregation’s per-capita contributions espousing a viewpoint that is so out of step with the membership of the Presbyterian church and so bad for the U.S. and world peace. I thank God every day for President George W. Bush and will do whatever I can to see that he is re-elected and that government officials that share your view are voted out of office! I sincerely request that you step down as stated clerk of PCUSA.”
Kirkpatrick responded by e-mail: “Thank you for sharing your concern. However, you need to know that the World Council of Churches has made no statement calling for war crimes trials for Bush and Blair, nor have I supported any such.”
The Presbyterian complained to Kirkpatrick that he was surprised there was no such statement. He contacted The Layman, which e-mailed him a link to the Presbyterian News Service story, as well as a link to the full WCC resolution. Later, he sent Kirkpatrick a follow-up e-mail:
“Thank you for your personal response. With all due respect however, I feel that it was a bit misleading. My information came from an article reported in the Presbyterian News Service which, if I am not mistaken, is an official news source for PCUSA. I have attached a copy of the article for your reference. While it is clear that the WCC statement does not specifically call for war crimes trials for Bush and Blair, the news release does say that the statement implies (their words) that. I take this to mean that the war-crime issue was indeed discussed as part of the drafting and approval of the WCC statement. Since you are very active in the WCC and I’m sure were very involved in the preparation and issuance of this statement, then you must have been aware of these discussions and probably that the war crimes issue was actually part of your intent.
“I have read your subsequent statement on the PCUSA Web site downplaying the implications of the WCC statement, but, given the above, I would conclude that such statements are completely inadequate to counter my perceptions. If that is your intent, then I think that a simple statement that while you sincerely believe that the war was (morally) wrong and that you believe that the way to resolve such issues is through the United Nations, you did not mean to imply nor do you believe that George Bush and Tony Blair should be brought up on war crimes charges. Such a statement would seem to me to be adequate to resolve any confusion.”
Again, Kirkpatrick responded:
“I regret that you do not find my response satisfactory. However, your conclusions simply are not true.”
Once again, Kirkpatrick’s critic asked the stated clerk to make a clear statement: “I did not understand your previous message. I would appreciate it if you could clarify your position. Is it your position that Bush and Blair should be brought up on war crimes charges or not? I sincerely hope that it is not.”
Finally, on Dec. 12, Kirkpatrick gave his final response in the exchanges of e-mail:
“I do not belief [sic] that Bush and Blair should be brought up on war crimes charges.”
Case closed? Perhaps, but Kirkpatrick’s name is still on the resolution by the WCC, a foundering ecumenical body that counts the PCUSA among its major financial backers.
And the resolution appears to be clearer than Kirkpatrick is willing to acknowledge.
The resolution:
- Describes the Bush-Blair-led war against Iraq as “illegal … immoral, ill-advised and in breach of the principles of the UN Charter.”
- “Deplores the invasion and occupation of Iraq by foreign forces as an act of aggression in violation of the United Nations Charter and International Law.”
- “Declares that preventive and pre-emptive war violates international law and the principles of the UN Charter.”
- “Requests the relevant UN mechanisms to promptly investigate, gather any evidence of violations of human rights of the previous regime, war crimes and crimes against humanity, violations of international humanitarian law including the illegal resort to war, and to prosecute all such crimes.”
With or without their names in the resolution, as the WCC’s own analyst said in the PCUSA News Service story, Bush and Blair were the principal figures in the “illegal resort to war,” which would be a crime. Kirkpatrick signed and applauded that statement and his signature is still on it.
But now, in the wake of complaints from some Presbyterians, Kirkpatrick says he doesn’t “belief” Bush and Blair should be tried for war crimes.