Anti-war governments reacted this afternoon with deep misgivings to US President George W. Bush's ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Mr Bush's 48-hour deadline giving Saddam Hussein until Thursday to flee Iraq or face an invasion to topple his regime has created a "great global crisis" and the hope now of avoiding war is "nil", said Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country holds the EU presidency.
"Even in the last hour, let me say we have a mandate to exhaust all diplomatic and peaceful efforts to a solution to this crisis," said his foreign minister, Mr George Papandreou.
A spokesman at the Vatican said: "Whoever decides that all peaceful means under international law have been exhausted is assuming a grave responsibility before God, his conscience and before history". Pope John Paul II has been an outspoken opponent of a war on Iraq.
Beijing officials were pressing home the need to avoid war, China's new president, Mr Hu Jintao, told French President Jacques Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin today by phone. "The door to peace cannot be closed," state television reported Mr Hu as saying.
"Only the political resolution of the Iraqi issue within the framework of the UN is the correct way," Mr Hu insisted.
France, the butt of US wrath for its firm anti-war stance, and Germany warned there was no justification for war.
Iraq "today does not represent an immediate threat that justifies an immediate war," Mr Chirac said.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder told his nation: "My question remains: Does the level of threat posed by the Iraq dictator justify a war which will result in the certain death of thousands of innocent men, women and children?"
"My answer remains, No".
AFP