LONDON, Aug 6: A petition opposing an attack on Iraq, signed by the new Archbishop of Canterbury and other leading clerics of Britain, was handed in to the Downing Street here on Tuesday.

The declaration by the Christian peace group Pax Christi, signed by thousands, including a large number of priests from across Britain, opposes an attack on Iraq.

Besides the new Archbishop Dr Williams, the declaration includes the names of Anglican bishops, John Perry and Peter Price, and Roman Catholic bishops Malcolm McMahon, Thomas McMahon and Edwin Regan, all of them leading priests of the United Kingdom.

Tina Beattie, a member of the delegation to No 10, Downing Street, said: “When our elected leaders are considering fighting a war in our name, funded by our taxes, there is no morally neutral position.

“Christians have a responsibility to affirm certain fundamental principles of justice and for those who consider that a military attack on Iraq would violate those principles then there is a duty to speak out publicly”.

The new Archbishop, Dr Williams, is calling for any action to be sanctioned by a fresh United Nations mandate.