Church leaders have used their traditional Christmas messages to warn of the consequences of a war with Iraq. War should not be seen as inevitable, according to the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. His sentiments were echoed by the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, although he conceded war with Iraq might be necessary as a last resort. Meanwhile, in Baghdad, Saddam Hussein delivered a defiant Christmas message, warning that US "lies" would be exposed and Baghdad would emerge victorious from the current crisis. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is also taking a hard anti-war line and will use the analogy of the Three Wise Men to mock strategists who, in spite of their sophistication, end up killing innocent people.