A coalition of civic groups has issued a statement opposing U.S. retaliation for the recent terrorist attacks. The statement also urged the South Korean government not to provide support for the U.S. military operations.
More than five hundred civic groups signed the anti-war declaration released on Thursday.
The statement said that they join in the condemnation of terrorism worldwide, but urged the United States to reflect on its hard line foreign policies, which they said are to blame for the September eleventh terrorist attacks.
The groups suggested the South Korean government should offer more humanitarian assistance to victims of the terrorist attacks and play a greater role in international efforts to arrest and punish terrorists ... instead of supporting the war.
The groups also voiced concerns over the rapid remilitarization of Japan, which allegedly is trying to take advantage of the terrorist attacks ... to widen the scope of its military operations across all of the Asian continent.