'Don't lead Britain into a US led war with Iraq' - that is the clear message being sent to Prime Minister Tony Blair from a public meeting in Ilkley this week.

Labour MP Ann Cryer was one of the key speakers at an Ilkley Churches Together event which attracted around 100 people to All Saints' Church House on Tuesday.

Opening the debate, which was chaired by preacher and physics professor Tom McLeish, Mrs Cryer explained why she had already voted against her own Government at an emergency meeting of parliament.

She said: "Why attack Iraq? I'm no fan of Saddam Hussein and his regime but there's not much to choose between what he's done and what's going down in other parts of the world.

"The two main criticisms are that he has flouted UN resolutions time and again and that he's trying to get nuclear weapons, but look at countries like India and Israel who both already have nuclear weapons and have repeatedly flouted UN resolutions.

"We're not talking about bombing India or Israel - but what's the difference?

"The US deem the Saudis as friends although I would have many issues with the Saudis and their treatment of women. And what about Iran, where women are beheaded and stoned? There are many nasty regimes nearby."

Rejecting the notion of 'regime change' as ill thought through, Mrs Cryer then turned to the possibility of an Iraqi / Al-Qaeda connection.

"Did the Iraqis mastermind the demolition of the twin towers? We have no evidence of that and in fact no-one has ever suggested it.

"The US itself has failed to comply with countless international treaties, the ABM Treaty was thrown out to accommodate Star Wars, Kyoto disappeared to accommodate US industry.

She added that President George W Bush adopted the guise of internationalist when he needed support following the horrific collapse of the twin towers .

"We were in the US this year on September 11 and saw all the memorials, and it was very upsetting. But I'm not sure the Americans realise it will be just as awful for the Iraqis to suffer 2,500 deaths. What they are trying to perpetrate on the Iraqis is what was perpetrated on them.

"I just wish we could get on with the weapons inspections and do it now without prevarication. I hope and pray the Prime Minister is doing his best to deflect the American administration from this attack."

Reverend Pat Dearnley then explained the conditions, which include having lawful authority and exhausting all other means, which must be met for some Christian churches to be able to deem a war 'just'.

Urging a critical, questioning approach, he said: "I don't think any Christian, whatever their denomination, can ever say 'my country right or wrong'.

"Sometimes a true patriot has to stand up and say 'my country is wrong'."

Brian Meara from Ilkley's Society of Friends, or Quakers, who traditionally take a pacifist position with world affairs, read from a national statement about the Iraq crisis.

He said: "We acknowledge concern about the behaviour of the Iraqi government; however, Iraq's recent history shows that neither economic suppression of Iraq nor military action against it can bring peace or

justice.

"War with Iraq might kill vast numbers of people already suffering the effects of economic sanctions. We fear it would extend violence across the region, globally even, creating more violence and suffering in the future."

Voices in favour of a US and UK-driven military action were few and far between, but Ilkley resident Peter Cheney was one of those who did back the Government's line - and questioned the effectiveness of the UN.

He said: "What I find missing in this conversation is that we seem to be forgetting that we have a democracy and an elected prime minister, while Saddam is an evil, murderous dictator and history proves that dictators always go to war.

"He's already invaded other countries, already killed his own people. I would support our PM and our Government in doing the right thing."

Another speaker from the audience compared the situation to the 1930s - and recalled Churchill remarking in hindsight that the Second World War could have been prevented if action had been taken against Hitler sooner.

But another, Peter Johnson, said the comparison was unhelpful. "I don't think it's much use looking back 50 years to see parallels between the rise of the Third Reich and what we see today," he said.

"We now live in a very different, changed world where we are talking about nuclear weapons on an international scale."

A vote on a section of the Quakers' statement which backed the UN's authority and urged caution received overwhelming

support.

Mrs Cryer promised to pass the passage and the result on to Mr Blair - and to

send copies to the Iraqi and US ambassadors.