Minute on War Profiteering
Approved by Smithfield Monthly Meeting of Friends
10th Month 5 2003
Last Spring, the Smithfield Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends publicly expressed concern about the United States initiating war against the Government of Iraq. We faithfully follow the call of Jesus to love our enemies, and we felt that there were many other avenues of resolution of conflict not yet explored.
But our country did move ahead with preemptive attacks. The war on Iraq in March and April of 2003 led to widespread destruction of much of Iraq’s social, historical and political infrastructure. Thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths have resulted from the war, and many thousands more have been injured. Major Iraqi institutions such as museums, schools and businesses have been devastated or destroyed by the war or the resulting chaos. Months after the United States declared the successful removal of the Iraqi regime, much of the country’s infrastructure remains in shambles; many Iraqis continue to live without electricity, access to minimal health care or other public services, or even potable drinking water.
We believe that any country that wars with another country has a responsibility to rebuild what it has destroyed. Hence, we applaud any effort of our government to rebuild in Iraq so that the Iraqi people have a hope for a better future. However, this re-building should not result in excessive profiteering by select politically influential companies.
We are concerned that publicly disclosed information suggests activities that are potentially unethical and suspect. Such actions cast suspicions by the world community on the U.S. motives for the Iraq war and reconstruction. These actions taint the efforts to help Iraqis build their own country and determine their own future, and weaken our own democratic principles of public accountability and the rule of law.
We therefore call on our Congressional representatives to take the following steps:
In his support for an excess profits tax during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "I don’t want to see a single millionaire created in the United States as a result of this world disaster." The idea that individuals or American corporations may profit handsomely at the expense of the Iraqi people is repugnant to all civilized societies. We call on our elected leaders to assure that business dealings that develop as a result of the Iraq War be conducted in an open, ethical and accountable manner, as justice and our democratic principles demand.