March 1, 2003 — We, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, oppose the use of military force against the people of Iraq. It is our firm belief that war is not the answer to the difficulties of our world and particularly of the Middle-East. We believe that such action would be immoral and unwise.

While we acknowledge that the present government of Iraq may pose a potential threat to its neighbors, we call on the international community and the United States as part of that community to use non-violent means to contain and decrease that potential for harm. As part of this effort we urge President Bush, his advisors and the members of Congress to:

• Cooperate with the United Nations in its effort to investigate the charge that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction and to await the outcome of that investigation, respecting the integrity and skill of the weapons-inspection team;
• Reflect on the probable repercussions on the Islamic world of the United States' initiating an attack based on fear and suspicion against an Islamic nation;
• Listen to the voices of hundreds of thousands of United States citizens and persons around the world who are begging for a halt to what they see as a frightening insistence on the necessity of an attack on Iraq.