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Further Comment about US raids on Sudan and Afghanistan

"We should dig deeper into why terrorists behave the way they do. The bombings in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam are a terrible tragedy for the people of those countries and for the entire world. But my concern is that we are merely heaping more violence upon violence. . . The problems that lead to terrorism are deep and wide, they have horrendous roots. We're not going to be able to resolve it quickly, with military strikes. Retaliation is not a practical or effective way of responding." Marie Dennis, director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

"The teachings of Jesus would call us to move away from an eye for an eye mentality. What we've done today is create a situation that's nothing but retaliation. How long can we continue with this tit-for-tat approach? Eirik Frederick Harteis, Washington DC area Pax Christi

"The bombings will not resolve anything. If you respond with violence to violence, there always will be more violence. . . All these actions of force and violence certainly have repercussions on the whole world situation. For a long time there has been neither East nor West, but there is a world power called America. This intervention by America, because it is the most powerful and because it faces no resistence, above all favors terrorism -- which in reality, everyone wants to avoid. Instead of avoiding it, the US does everything to favor it." Most Reverend Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

"The attacks risk putting US relations with Russia in a crisis. In addition, it is asked whether the raid might have created an irreparable break between the Islamic world and that of the West." (Comment on Vatican Radio, in reference to Russian President Boris Yeltsin's objections to the raid.)

"Violent retaliation and further bombings only inflame the existing hatred and violence, rather than removing them. They do not build peace and security in Africa or anywhere. A better, nonviolent approach to terrorism would address the underlying economic, political, and social causes of it." Fr. John Dear, executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation

A Better Way to Fight Terrorism MSNBC article by Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine, a voice of the evangelical Christian social justice movement.

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