VATICAN: Pope Benedict has said in his annual peace message that countries have a duty to respect international humanitarian law, even if they are at war.
In the first peace message of his pontificate, he also appealed for worldwide nuclear disarmament and said countries considering acquiring such weapons should "change their course".
He condemned terrorism but said the world community should look deeper into its political, social, cultural, religious and ideological motivations.
In one part of the message, which is sent to heads of state and international organisations for the Catholic Church's World Day of Peace on January 1st, the pope said war could not be an excuse for disregarding international humanitarian law.
"The truth of peace must also let its beneficial light shine even amid the tragedy of war," he said, quoting from another Vatican document that said "not everything automatically becomes permissible between hostile parties once war has regrettably commenced".
Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's justice and peace department, told reporters at the presentation of the message that the pope's words applied to all wars. Asked if Iraq was included, he said: "That's correct."
In the message, called In Truth, Peace, the pope said international humanitarian law was one of the finest expressions of truth.
"Precisely for this reason, respect for that law must be considered binding on all peoples." Humanitarian law "must be brought up to date by precise norms applicable to the changing scenarios of today's armed conflicts and the use of ever newer and more sophisticated weapons", he added.
In another part of the message, the pope said the possession of nuclear weapons by any country for security was "not only baneful but also completely fallacious" because there would be no winners in a nuclear war.