The Government's decision on whether to allow US military aircraft continue to use Shannon Airport will not be made until next week, according to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
The question facing the Government would not be clear until the outcome of the Azores meeting tomorrow between President Bush, the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair and the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jose Maria Aznar was known, he said.
Speaking in Washington before he left for Ireland, the Taoiseach said he had been "absolutely consistent" in saying that Ireland wanted a second UN Security Council resolution.
"I have stuck firmly to supporting what the United Nations is trying to do. Of course, there is disappointment that the UN has not successfully yet achieved a second resolution," he said.
On Thursday, Mr Ahern gave the clearest indication to date that the US would continue to enjoy landing rights at Shannon and overfly rights if it decided to invade Iraq without a UN mandate. He said that Ireland would "be the only country in the free world" to withdraw previously available facilities to the US if it ruled Shannon out of bounds.
The Washington Post newspaper put a negative interpretation on Mr Ahern's emphasis on the need for a second UN resolution, saying it was "one more rejection for Bush in a day of frantic diplomacy".
"Denial of [Shannon landing\] rights would be a blow to the administration, because Shannon is an important refuelling stop for military planes bound for Europe and the Middle East. About 30,000 US troops have passed through Shannon during the build-up in the Persian Gulf region," it said yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has attacked the Taoiseach for indicating that overfly and landing rights might remain, even without a second resolution.
Labour's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Michael D Higgins, said Mr Ahern's comments represented the lowest point in Irish foreign policy debate in a long time.