The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has urged Britain and the United States not to take any action against Iraq which would fuel further violence in the Middle East.
"Anything that doesn't lead to greater stability in the Middle East, anything that doesn't lead to long term peace in the Middle East should not be done", Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor told BBC radio.
"If a unilateral attack on Iraq would in fact cause instability, would cause the loss of ultimate peace in the Middle East, then, in my view, it would be a very dangerous step to take. The consequences must be very, very seriously looked at", he added.
Tony Blair has faced opposition from the Labour Party against joining George W. Bush in any military action against Iraq over its refusal to allow access to U.N. weapons inspectors.
