Ahern promises Irish efforts to ease war crisis

Ireland is ready to play whatever role is asked of it internationally in dealing with the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Yugoslavia, the Taoiseach said yesterday. However, it was not clear whether this intervention would be made solely through aid or some other means. The Government also announced £400,000 for refugees from Kosovo.

Mr Ahern was speaking to journalists in Dublin yesterday after addressing a conference on the NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace programme. He was seriously concerned about the developing conflict in Yugoslavia; no one wanted to see a further Bosnia, he said.

"We have a role to play and if the international community asks us to play a role, whether it be aid or some other means, we will play that role." The issue was due to be discussed at Cabinet yesterday evening.

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, told the conference many in his party were "uncomfortable" with the NATO actions in recent days. Opposition to NATO actions should not be confused with support for Slobodan Milosevic. The long-term question was whether NATO was the appropriate body to organise security co-operation in Europe. "Should the EU not begin to recast the whole landscape of security in the northern hemisphere? It is time now to think in terms of a new Northern Hemisphere Defence Union," he suggested.

Mr George Katsirdakis, a senior NATO official who addressed the conference, declined to answer journalists' questions on Yugoslavia.

In a statement, the Green TD, Mr John Gormley, called on the Government to "admit the error of its ways" and accept that the NATO bombing had exacerbated the crisis in Kosovo.

Announcing the immediate grant of £400,000, Ms Liz O'Donnell, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the money would be provided to the UN refugees' agency, the UNHCR.

She said: "According to the UNHCR, over half a million people in Kosovo, or a quarter of the population, have been displaced from their homes since the beginning of the conflict. There are over 100,000 refugees in the region in desperate need of food and shelter. We will continue to monitor the situation and maintain close contact with the UNHCR and the Red Cross and others to assess future needs".