US seeks pretext for war says cardinal

Cardinal Thomas Williams yesterday said President George W. Bush's push for a war on Iraq lacked justification and "sane morality".

The New Zealand prelate said there was no credible proof that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction or intended to harm another country.

There was "no justification on grounds of international law or sane morality" for war on Iraq, he said.

His criticism came after the US said this week that Secretary of State Colin Powell would produce proof to the UN Security Council that Iraq was pursuing weapons of mass destruction.

UN weapons inspectors have been in Iraq to establish whether Iraq has been amassing such weapons. None have been found to date.

Cardinal Williams said the 1945 UN charter ruled out member nations declaring a pre-emptive war.

"I do not know whether and to what extent American political and oil interests are involved," he said.

The United States was seeking a pretext - "or even striving to fabricate a pretext" for war, the head of the Catholic Church in New Zealand said.

Iraqi people had suffered enough through UN sanctions, President Saddam Hussein and the earlier Gulf War.

There could be benefits from an overthrow of President Hussein and his regime, both within Iraq and further afield, he said.

However, the "inevitable consequences of armed conflict" were far too high a price to pay".

- NZPA

Herald feature: Iraq