Senior citizens on Thursday protested a U.S. plan to militarily depose Saddam Hussein should the Iraqi dictator refuse to allow unfettered inspections of his country's weapons program.

About 25 religious officials - some retired - gathered around a flag pole at the Pilgrim Place retirement community to publicly oppose President Bush's doctrine of military pre-emption. The event was part of a coordinated protest scheduled for ten cities across the country.

We are "in opposition to a unilateral, pre-emptive invasion by the U.S., as the president has proposed against Iraq,' said Claremont resident and retired United Church of Christ Minister Paul Kittlaus, 68.

Thursday's protest ocurred under the auspices of the Progressive Religious Partnership. PRP organizer Kittlaus said the group has not taken a position on whether it would support a multilateral, United Nations-supported war against Iraq.

Copyright © 2002 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

###