SEANAD REPORT / Jimmy Walsh: The reported virtual admission by the US Secretary of State for Defence, Mr Donald Rumsfeld, that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq meant that he stood out as a war criminal, Mr David Norris (Ind) said.
It also indicated that President Bush had violated his country's constitution, because the only excuse for war was a clear and present danger. Mr Bush had stated absolutely categorically that there had been such a danger, but obviously there had not been and "they probably knew that", he added.
"But the most worrying thing is that Mr Rumsfeld, not a bit abashed by this, went on to intimate that he was within an ace of declaring war on Iran as well. Where is this lunacy going to end? Surely we should protest against it," added Mr Norris in a call for a debate on foreign affairs with particular reference to Iraq.
Mr Brendan Ryan (Lab) said Mr Rumsfeld had been quoted as saying he thought Iraq might have destroyed its weapons during the recent invasion.
"If there were no weapons of mass destruction then the war was fought on a lie told by the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who, to my great embarrassment, is a member of the Socialist International."
The leader of the House, Ms Mary O'Rourke, said it was certain there were no weapons of mass destruction. Their reputed presence had been the guiding star of Mr Blair and Mr Bush. "We never believed it then and we don't believe it now," she said.