The United Nations is "losing credibility" among ordinary people who do not support the war in Iraq, an Irish peace group said today.
Mr Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) was reacting to the UN Secretary General's proposal that EU-based "battle groups" of around 1,500 troops should be established to act on behalf of the UN in emergency situations worldwide.
Mr Kofi Annan is expected to discuss his proposal when he addresses the National Forum on Europe in Dublin later this week. In an interview in today's Irish Times, Mr Annan said he was "very excited" about the idea.
Mr Cole said he was "not surprised" such a concept had been proposed by Mr Annan but asked "what level of credibility" Ireland could expect in declaring itself neutral in supporting such a proposal and in its facilitation of the war in Iraq.
He said Ireland was "no longer a neutral state" and was supporting an "imperialist war for oil" in Iraq. He said that under the Hague Convention, a country that regarded itself to be neutral could not allow its territory to be used in a war.
Ireland was, in fact, allowing its territory to be used by US troops engaged in the war on Iraq, he said. Irish troops had been called in to guard Shannon airport, which was still being used as a stopover for US aircraft going to and from Iraq, an issue which was being "ignored" by the media, Mr Cole added.
"I think the UN is losing credibility among ordinary people who don't support this war," he said. "There is now a situation where the UN, the US and the EU all now support the war in Iraq."
Mr Cole said he believed Ireland would "of course" support the UN Secretary General's proposals for EU-based "battle groups".
The emergency "hit squads", which would possibly involve Irish troops, would be dispatched to trouble spots throughout the world under plans to be outlined by the UN Secretary General on his visit to Dublin this week.
Mr Annan will address the National Forum on Europe on Thursday on the subject of UN-EU cooperation.
In the interview published in today's Irish Times, Mr Annan was asked about the concept of EU military groups of about 1,500 troops which could be sent to trouble spots and whether this was the "way forward".
Mr Annan said he was "very excited" about the prospect. He said there were "quite a few problems" that could be contained or "nipped in the bud" if a force could be sent in quickly and that sometimes this may not necessarily involve a fight.
Mr Annan and his wife will pay an official visit to Ireland from Wednesday to Saturday of this week.