IRELAND: Ireland's efforts in the Iraq crisis are focused on enabling arms inspectors to return to the country to perform their assigned task, writes Paul Cullen
As the US edges closer to an attack on Iraq, the Government here is pinning its hopes on the United Nations' ability to resolve the deepening conflict.
Irish diplomats at the UN in New York are continuing to support efforts by the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, to broker an agreement on arms inspections in Iraq.
Mr Annan expressed pessimism this week about moves to resolve the dispute, saying he had received no response from the Iraqis to a letter he wrote on the issue.
Iraq says the UN should respond first to questions it has raised.
According to a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Ireland takes the view that Iraq should abide by UN resolutions and allow UN arms inspectors back into its territory to inspect weapons facilities without pre-conditions.
Through its Ambassador at the UN Security Council, Mr Richard Ryan, Ireland has consistently supported Mr Annan's attempts to persuade Saddam Hussein's regime to admit the UN arms inspectors, he said.
Since September 11th, the US has taken a tough line on countries it regards as having the potential to produce weapons of mass destruction. It numbers Iraq as one of several states which, it maintains, constitute an "axis of evil" in the world.
Asked whether the Government here believes that Iraq belongs to an "axis of evil", the Department spokesman declined to comment.
"We'll deal with the here and now," he said.
If the US were to invade Iraq, it or any other state seeking to use Irish airports or overfly Irish territory would first have to obtain the permission of the Government, he said.
Under the terms of the relevant Air Navigation Act, which dates from 1952, incoming aircraft would have to be unarmed and could not be used for military purposes.
Shannon Airport is frequently used by American planes carrying US troops on their way to bases in central Europe.
The Department denies that Irish facilities were used by US warplanes during previous attacks on Iraq.
"Our focus, and that of the UN, is to open up the situation for arms inspectors to go back into Iraq and seek the necessary verification," the spokesman said.
Ireland recognised that the UN sanctions imposed on Iraq had created a humanitarian problem in that country, he said. As a result, sanctions had been redefined so they hit the regime rather than the ordinary citizen.
In May, the Security Council lifted some restrictions on the importation of civilian goods into Iraq but tightened military sanctions.
If Iraq agreed to allow in arms inspectors, Ireland would consider the suspension of sanctions and moves towards a resolution of the crisis.