The re-election of US President George W Bush would be a "disaster for US and the international community", a group of lawyers told a press conference in Dublin today.
The group has gathered the signatures of over 170 Irish lawyers who oppose the visit of Mr Bush to Ireland on Friday for an EU-US summit. The group includes 20 senior counsel.
The group said Mr Bush was using Ireland as an "election prop" and there was a need to demonstrate clear opposition to his policies.
It said the Government here was "clearly assisting an illegal war" in Iraq and called on people to take part in peaceful and lawful protests against Mr Bush's visit.
Mr Fergal Kavanagh SC, speaking in a personal capacity at the press conference, said that if evidence emerged in the coming days that Mr Bush had authorised torture of prisoners in Iraq or in Cuba that, gardaí had the duty to arrest him and send a file to the DPP.
Mr Kavanagh was defence counsel for a Rwandan government minister accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity before the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal.
He said it was essential that a full investigation be carried out to establish whether there is evidence "against particular persons" which might ground prosecution for war crimes or crimes against humanity. Any such evidence must be preserved so that the appropriate steps can be taken, he added. Asked whether he was referring to Mr Bush, Mr Kavanagh said he was.
The lawyers, including 20 senior counsel, more than 100 junior counsel and 42 solicitors, signed the statement as individuals and stressed that they did not represent the views of the legal profession generally, nor of their professional bodies.
A press conference addressed by a number of those who signed the statement was moved from the Distillery Building in Dublin, where the Bar Council has offices, to a nearby hotel.
Speaking for the organisers of the statement, Mr Giollaiosa O Lideadha said: "The Taoiseach defended the use of Shannon on the grounds that this was necessary to avoid offending the US and to maintain Ireland's economic interests.
"We hope that every person in Ireland will ask a question 'Am I prepared to be a real friend to the people of the US?' by finding ways to get the message across that President Bush is extremely dangerous. Mr Bush is a serious threat to the economic and security interests of the US, Ireland and the world."
Mr O Lideadha said the Irish media must ensure that the Taoiseach accounts fully for his conduct and that of the Government with more than a 'sound bite'.
Mr Brendan Nix SC, speaking in a personal capacity at the press conference, said any society that created Guantanamo Bay to put detainees or prisoners beyond the care of law and human rights was "a rogue state".
He asked whether people could be expected to believe a US government, which had "lied" about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, to tell the truth about who was being carried on its planes through Shannon airport.