Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today changed his stance on Iraq, saying Iraq must disarm in order to stop a war. Previously he had called for Iraq to back up its claims that it had no weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Mubarak said 'If Iraqi President Saddam Hussein hands over his weapons of mass destruction, there will be no more reason for a war.
'In the past, Iraqis began by denials and then Washington discovered they were hiding the truth,' he said.
Mr Mubarak, who has repeatedly called on Iraq to do more to back up its claims that it has no weapons of mass destruction, said no country would win from a war.
'I am sure...that a war against Iraq would trigger a huge frenzy of terrorism,' he said.
On Wednesday during a visit to Berlin Mubarak said that weapons inspections should be given sufficient, but 'limited' time and urged Saddam to cooperate with the inspections to avoid a war.
Aust PM blasts anti-war protestors
The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has stood by his comments that anti-war protestors are giving comfort to Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein.
Mr Howard said those who had marched in demonstrations around the world at the weekend should realise that their protests made it more difficult to unite international opinion on the Iraqi crisis.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians took part in marches in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and regional centres last weekend. The comments have sparked anger from anti-war organisations and the Australian opposition.
Labor party leader, Simon Crean, accused Mr Howard of being out of touch with ordinary Australians.
But Mr Howard said he was not impugning the loyalty of the protestors. He said that people involved in the debate must understand that their actions have an impact.
Cost of war predicted
A short war with Iraq could cost the world 1% of its economic output over the next few years, according to researchers in Australia.
Reserve Bank board member, Prof Warwick McKibbin and Dr Andy Stoeckel, the head of the Centre for International Economics, say a long war could more than triple the costs.
They say the compounding effects of rising oil prices, extra budget spending and economic uncertainty could cut $173bn from the world economy in 2003 alone.
British church leaders express doubt over war
The leaders of the two main Christian churches in Britain have issued a statement expressing doubt about the moral legitimacy of a war against Iraq.
The Catholic Primate, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, say it is vital that the UN weapons inspections continue.
The two leaders express deep disquiet about the possible humanitarian and political consequences of a war.
They say that the events of recent days showed that doubts still persist about the moral legitimacy of military action.
The statement comes in a week in which Tony Blair has been arguing the moral case for removing Saddam Hussein because of the suffering he has caused his people.
But the two churchmen say it is vital that the UN weapons inspectors continue their work which could and should render the trauma and tragedy of war unnecessary.
