IRELAND: The Labour Party spokesman on Foreign Affairs Mr Michael D. Higgins and Fianna Fáil Senator Mr Michael Kitt will visit Iraq and Jordan next week on a diplomatic mission.
They will visit both countries as part of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee Delegation.
"We will be asking very direct questions of the Iraqi politicians and looking for answers" said Mr Higgins last night.
He added: "No question will be left unasked."
The delegation are staying in the Jordanian capital of Amman next Wednesday before continuing on to Bagdad on Thursday where they hope to meet with the Iraqi ministers for health, resources and foreign affairs.
The delegates intend meeting with several non-governmental organisations such as UNICEF, WHO and Irish organisation GOAL.
"Economic sanctions and the Oil for Food Programme are a huge imposition on the Iraqi civilian operation" said Senator Michael Kitt.
"We will be assessing the whole question of the population currently at risk of malnutrition and death from any military attack" he added.
"As a neutral country we would see both sides and we have no other agenda other than getting UN resolutions complied with" Mr Kitt said last night.
When asked how they would receive Iraqi responses to questions on a nuclear weapons programme, Mr Higgins said he would be "more afraid of unelected media coverage broadcasting war as inevitable".
"We are totally committed to diplomatic alternatives to any military action" said Mr Higgins.
He said Dr Hans Blix was "seeking to not repeat mistakes made previously" such as "intelligence gathering" by UN weapons inspectors.
Mr Higgins said he would be assessing the Iraqi interpretation of their compliance under the UN resolution during his visit. They will also meet with Iraqi academics and civilians whom they met last year and in 1991.