"God has clearly supported and vindicated the initiative taken[in Iraq],and we are assured He will continue to do so as there is dependence on Him for guidance,"the elders wrote.
In May 2004 the Brethren wrote that they were"deeply concerned"about the media's success in its"campaign to destabilise your government".
"The attention of the public needs to be diverted from matters such as the Iraq war,the supposed ill treatment of Iraq prisoners and other contentious issues,"they said,and suggested a massive project to transport water via aqueducts,using funding from the sale of Telstra.
The Brethren run a lucrative network of pump supplies companies,but a spokesman,Tony McCorkell,said yesterday that this was irrelevant to the water question.
Later in 2004 the Brethren,who do not vote,were urged by their Sydney-based world leader Bruce Hales to get behind Mr Howard in the campaign against Mark Latham. As a result,$370,000 of Brethren funding went into pro-Howard advertising - a transaction now under investigation by the federal police.