Scottish church opposes military action

THE Church of Scotland has voiced strong opposition to the military offensive in Afghanistan. In a statement, the Kirk's Church and Nation committee, which deals with foreign affairs, said military action would create a "new generation of martyrs rising up to die for their cause." It said: "The original use of the phrase 'infinite justice' as a name for the operation was crassly insensitive and displayed astonishing ignorance. The use of the word 'crusade' by President Bush fed into a history of aggression and colonialism, both perceived and real, and should have been avoided." The committee convenor, Rev Alan McDonald, said: "We remain to be convinced that military action can be justified. We are very concerned that it will incur considerable civilian casualties."