IRELAND: The fact that the United Nations Security Council is playing a central part in the efforts to resolve the Iraqi impasse is a cause of satisfaction to the Government which has for some time been advocating a key role for the UN in the crisis.
The council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Although relations between Ireland and the US could hardly be more cordial, the Government, along with its EU partners, prefers the multilateral UN approach over unilateral action by individual member-states, no matter how powerful.
Therefore the Government welcomed the statement by President Bush that the US wanted to work with the council. As a member of the council until the end of this year, Ireland will have a ringside seat as diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation intensify.
Some of Mr Bush's more right-wing supporters would wish to have little or nothing to do with the UN, which they regard with suspicion and distaste. So the Government and the Irish political establishment in general will welcome his acknowledgment that the world body cannot be bypassed, at least at this stage.
But the President made it clear that he was not prepared to wait forever and that he wanted a strong, new resolution instructing President Saddam to comply with disarmament commitments.
Diplomatic sources were unwilling to speculate last night on the Government's approach in the event that the Iraqi leader failed to comply with a further resolution, leading to a decision by the US and its allies to invade.
It has been the custom for Ireland to make landing and overflight facilities available to US military aircraft and it seems unlikely the present Government would deviate from this practice.
The word repeatedly emphasised by the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, was "legitimacy", particularly the unique legitimacy conferred by the UN and its Security Council. But he pointed out that if Iraq's "defiance" continued, then the council would have to face its responsibilities.
This implies that the council could authorise military action to enforce UN resolutions and, if this arose before the end of the year, Ireland would have a vote on it. But given that a war in Iraq is likely to be highly unpopular, at least at the start, the Government may find it is being offered a poisoned chalice.