Whereas:

The threat of terrorism requires an international response in the interests of peace, justice, and freedom; AND

Such a response must focus not only on heightening security and shutting down terrorist organizations, but also on alleviating the conditions of desperate poverty and oppression under which ideological extremism flourishes; AND

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States made no attempt to seek redress through international law before announcing that it was sending troops to Afghanistan and putting the rest of the world on notice that "either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists"; AND

The War on Terror puts Americans in a highly ambiguous position: troops are being deployed and Americans are being asked to accept limitations on civil liberties as in a time of war; yet no official declaration of war has been made, this war has no clearly defined enemy, and the U.S. government has argued that the the Geneva Conventions do not apply to this conflict.

And whereas:

LDS scripture challenges us to to "renounce war and proclaim peace," insisting that war is justified only when other means of defense have been exhausted (D&C 98:16, 33-36); AND

Spencer W. Kimball has chastised Americans in particular for being "a warlike people" (Ensign [June 1976]: 4); AND

Joseph F. Smith taught that peace comes not by preparing for war but "only by preparing for peace, through training the people in righteousness and justice" (Gospel Doctrine, 421)--a sentiment echoed half a century later when Pope Paul IV declared, "If you want peace, work for justice"; AND

The persecution that the Saints experienced in the past at the hands of state and federal governments reminds us that governmental power can be badly abused.

Now therefore let it be resolved that MESJ:

1.	Raises a voice of caution against nationalist or jingoist sentiment in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
2.	Expresses serious concern about the ambiguous nature of the War on Terror and about infringements on civil liberties.
3.	Maintains that an international action orchestrated by the United Nations would be a more principled, cooperative, and peace-minded response to the problem of terrorism than the unilateral deployment of troops by the United States.
4.	Supports efforts to strike at the roots of terrorism by working against poverty and injustice, recognizing that this will include taking a hard look at U.S. foreign policy and the forces of globalization.

Adopted 20 July 2002