The battle of words rumbles on

The politicians kept up the battle of words today, even though the first missiles had been fired in the Iraq crisis.

The UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that the allies had been "left with no option but to use force" against Iraq following Saddam Hussein's refusal to disarm.

But Russia, France, China and the Vatican all issued swift statements calling for a halt the action.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded a quick end to the US–led attack on Iraq, saying it was unjustified and calling it a "big political mistake".

Russia has strongly opposed the use of force against Iraq and pushed for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Along with France and Germany, it opposed any United Nations resolution that would sanction the use of force.

"The military action in Iraq is being conducted in spite of world opinion, in spite of the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter," said Mr Putin.

"There was no need for military action to answer the main question standing before the international community: Does Iraq have weapons of mass destruction or not, and if it does, then what must be done, and in what time period, to liquidate them?"

He added: "Russia intends to pursue a policy of returning the Iraqi question to the basis of Security Council resolutions."

The French President Jacques Chirac urged US–led forces to avoid a "humanitarian catastrophe" and called for a quick end to the fighting.

"France regrets this action taken without approval of the United Nations," he said in a brief televised speech. "We hope these operations will be as rapid and least deadly as possible."

The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement earlier in the day urging fighters in Iraq to spare civilians, and called on countries in the region to avoid aggravating tensions.

International aid organizations have been preparing for the thousands of people they fear could be forced to cross borders to flee the fighting or will suffer from hunger in the aftermath of war.

M. Chirac asked the government to convene a special meeting to consider the economic and security ramifications of the war.

France is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe. Islam is the second religion of France, with about five million Muslims.

China called for a halt to "a violation of the UN charter and the basic norms of international law".

Vatican officials issued a statement deploring the breakdown of diplomacy and said they were "deeply pained" by the war.