Pope John Paul II

ROME, February 10 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Pope John Paul II's special envoy to Iraq was due Monday, February 10, where he will meet Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on a "mission on the outer limits of hope", he said in an published interview.

Cardinal Roger Etchegaray will hand Saddam a special message from the pontiff "backing all necessary efforts, regardless of where they have come from, to maintain peace", he told La Repubblica on Monday.

In return, he said, Iraqi authorities must offer "maximum cooperation" to the U.N. disarmament inspectors.

"War would be a catastrophe from any point of view. Primarily because it would have serious consequences for the Iraqi people, but also because it would hamper U.N. efforts to bring mankind closer," he told the daily.

The 80-year-old cardinal, one of the pope's closest aides, warned that a war on Iraq would, without a doubt, considerably worsen relations between the West and the Muslim world.

Etchegaray has been sent by the pontiff several times to conflict-stricken regions, and has met Saddam before.

John Paul II Saturday, February 8, renewed his opposition to war and stressed that war could still be avoided.

"We must redouble our efforts," the Roman Catholic leader said. "We must not resign ourselves, for the war can be avoided."

The pontiff, 82, will receive Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Tareq Aziz on Friday, February 14.

He is also reportedly due to meet with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on February 18, but the Vatican has not confirmed the talks.

U.S. Reattend Swiss humanitarian meet on Iraq

Meanwhile, amid its feverish preparation to attack Iraq, the United States has turned down an invitation to take part in a Swiss meeting next weekend on the humanitarian consequences of a possible war in Iraq.

A spokesman for the U.S. mission in Geneva said on Monday that Washington preferred to support the appeal for help for Iraq by U.N. agencies.

"The U.S. has decided it will not attend the international humanitarian planning conference, called for by the government of Switzerland," the spokesman told AFP.

"We have informed the Swiss government of our decision not to attend."

Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey called the February 15-16 meeting in Geneva to focus on the logistics and resources of humanitarian aid and the exchange of information in the event of a conflict in Iraq.

Baghdad has not been invited. Calmy-Rey has stressed it would be a technical meeting and should not become politicized.

The United States, who insists on attacking Iraq with or without a U.N. resolution, announced on Thursday it was donating 12 million dollars (about 11 million euros) to the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) to help preparations for a possible humanitarian crisis in Iraq following any outbreak of war.

"We are uncertain as to how the conference would assist the planning," the spokesman said, adding the United States believed it would be "more effective to respond to the U.N. agencies appeal".

War Profiteering

Meanwhile in Oslo, the environmental organization Greenpeace on Monday urged seven Norwegian oil companies and international subsidiaries in the Scandinavian country to refrain from profiteering from a war on Iraq.

A letter was sent to the Norwegian groups Statoil, Norsk Hydro and Aker Kvaerner, as well as the Norwegian subsidiaries of British Petroleum, Anglo-Dutch group Shell, U.S. group Esso and French group TotalFinaElf, Greenpeace said.

"We do not expect these private companies to take a political stand on a war on Iraq," the letter said.

But, it continued, "can you promise that your company will not get involved in (operating) a new oil field in Iraq as long as the country is occupied or administered by U.S. troops?"

Greenpeace said the aim of the letter was to ensure that these companies refrain from playing the role of war profiteers.

Iraq, which the U.S. is determined to attack and take control of, is home to the world's second-largest oil reserves, behind Saudi Arabia.