Washington: A US-led war On Iraq would be "unjust" and "illegal" without United
Nations Security Council approval, an envoy of Pope John Paul II who met President
George W Bush has said.
"I would say it is illegal...It is unjust, that is all I would say,'' Cardinal Pio
Lagahi told reporters on March 5 after a 40-minute closed-door meeting with
Bush.
"The purpose of my visit was to deliver a personal message of the Holy Father to the
President regarding the Iraqi crisis, to expound upon the Holy Seer's position and to
report on the various initiatives undertaken by the Holy Seer to contribute to
disarmament and peace in the Middle East," the envoy said in remarks to the National
Press Club.
Lagahi said he and Bush had a good "dialogue", but acknowledged the situation remains
unchanged.
The Vatican had said earlier it would be "illegal and immoral to attack Iraq without
UN approval.
A senior US administration official said that the President and Lagahi agreed on
''the importance of protecting the unborn, banning cloning and helping the
disadvantaged,"
but sharply disagreed on Iraq.
The Cardinal asked Bush a series of questions, including whether the President was
doing everything he could to avoid war, and expressed concern that the war would
enlarge the gulf between the Western and Muslim worlds. But Bush disagreed, noting
that children are going to school in Afghanistan partly because of US efforts, the
official added.
PTI
