Pope Shenouda appeals for calm settlement to Iraq crisis

Head of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Shenouda III called for a "calm settlement " to the Iraqi crisis aside from a military option.

Until now, international weapons inspectors have not found anything to prove Iraq guilty of possessing weapons of mass destruction, he told (MENA) Middle East News Agency on Wednesday.

Warning against the grave repercussions of a potential USA war on Iraq on the region, he said the big powers have only their own interests in mind, only what brings them security and stability.

They overlook peace as a sublime human value because they are blinded by the attainment of their interests, he noted.

These countries will only understand the need for a peaceful settlement when they reach the conviction that avoiding the war is to their own interest, he added.