The Labour Party leader has called on the Taoiseach to "say clearly" that a unilateral attack on Iraq by the United State without a second UN resolution would be "unjustified, immoral and illegal".
Yesterday Mr Bertie Ahern described a second UN resolution on Iraq as "a political imperative" for any military action. He explicitly disputed the Bush Administration's earlier view that another Security Council vote is not necessary.
|
|
Mr Pat Rabbitte
|
But Mr Pat Rabbitte said Mr Ahern's comments were "in keeping with the fence-sitting instincts of the Taoiseach that he only discovers the importance of a second resolution after the United States and the United Kingdom have indicated that one will actually be tabled."
"It also comes within days of the biggest public demonstration seen in this country for several decades in which the participants were fiercely critical of government silence in the face of the stampede towards war," Mr Rabbitte added.
"If the Taoiseach now acknowledges that a second resolution would be required before any further action against Iraq could even be contemplated, he should then logically say clearly that any unilateral attack on Iraq by the United States and its allies would be unjustified, immoral and illegal and that Ireland would not support or facilitate such action in any way."
Britain and the United States are to introduce a new UN resolution that paves the way for military action against Iraq, while still giving Saddam Hussein a final few weeks to co-operate fully with the arms inspectors.
The White House said President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair held a lengthy telephone conversation last night to discuss the wording of the resolution, which must be approved by a UN Security Council which strongly opposes a rush to war.
