Local civic groups Monday urged the United States not to retaliate against the Taliban, the Islamic group controlling most of Afghanistan which has been harboring the international terrorist Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden is widely suspected of masterminding last week's terrorist attacks on Washington and New York.
Representatives of 21 civilian organizations, including the Peoples Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, said at a news conference that military retaliation will only continue the vicious cycle of violence.
They said the United States should immediately end its moves to start a retaliatory war.
Expressing condolences to thousands of victims of last week's terrorist attacks on the United States, they said, if the innocent American lives and property are regarded as important, lives and property of innocent civilians (in Afghanistan) who will be attacked by the U.S. must also be respected.
The civic groups also called for rational action on the part of the Seoul government, which recently announced its willingness to support U.S. retaliation.