The head of the leading US ecumenical body, the National Council of Churches USA, has described the call for more troops to be sent to Iraq as "morally unsupportable".

Peace and security in Iraq will not come from increased levels of US troops and more warring ‚Ä' it will be achieved only by diplomacy, political processes, reconciliation, and reconstruction, says leading Quaker agency the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

Christians around the US will join others tonight at hundreds of meetings to protest against the announcement by President Bush last night to send 21,500 extra US troops to Iraq.