Doubts over a significant future role for the United Nations in Iraq were growing last night as the world body's Baghdad headquarters was hit by another bomb and President Bush suggested the UN would have only a limited part in the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty. Report by Deaglán de Bréadún in New York and Conor O'Clery in Albany.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, indicated Ireland could consider sending troops to join an international peacekeeping force in Iraq under a UN Security Council mandate. "We are neutral, but when it comes to UN Security Council resolutions we've served in every part of the world," Mr Ahern said after a meeting with Sen Hillary Rodham Clinton in Albany, New York.
"Our army may not be great in numbers but when we have been asked we have always contributed, whether it's East Timor, whether it's been in Eritrea or any of the other areas of conflict in the world."
Senior Defence Forces sources, however, said a large scale deployment of Irish troops to Iraq would be unlikely. They pointed out that close to 300 Army personnel were already stationed in Kosovo, and it was expected that more than 400 would be sent on peace-keeping duties to Liberia. That would rule out the deployment of large numbers of Irish soldiers to Iraq, The Irish Times was told. A spokesman for the Defence Forces declined to comment in advance of a Government decision.
In Baghdad yesterday, a car bomber killed a policeman and himself outside the UN offices only a month after a bombing in which more than 20 people died. Nineteen people were injured in the blast, with six people missing. The bomber reportedly wore an explosives belt and had a 50lb bomb in the car.
UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan said that if the situation continued to deteriorate, UN operations in Iraq "will be handicapped considerably".
Speaking in New York where he is also attending today's UN General Assembly meeting, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, strongly condemned the Baghdad bombing. Mr Annan said the UN was "taking further measures to protect our installations".
In an interview with the right-wing television network, Fox News, President Bush said he was not certain it was necessary for the United States to seek greater UN participation in political efforts to restore Iraqi sovereignty.
"I'm not so sure we have to, for starters," he said. "But secondly, I do think it would be helpful to get the United Nations in to help write a constitution. I mean, they're good at that. Or, perhaps when an election starts, they'll oversee the election. That would be deemed a larger role."
The President was adamant he would express no regrets about the war in his address to the General Assembly today. "I will make it clear that I made the right decision and the others that joined us made the right decision," he said.
The latest bombing coincided with news that the Secretary General has established an "Independent Panel on the Safety and Security of UN Personnel in Iraq" to investigate the previous bombing on August 19th.
The panel will be chaired by Mr Martti Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland. Deputy Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald of the Garda Síochána will be on the three-member panel. Another senior garda, Assistant Commissioner Kevin Carty, will be one of a number of experts providing technical advice and assistance.
Mr Fitzgerald was attached to the UN mission to investigate alleged atrocities at the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank which was set up in April 2002 but later cancelled because of Israeli objections.