The Taoiseach has described the military strikes in Afghanistan as "legitimate". Mr Ahern said the action conformed with UN charter resolutions.
But with reports of civilian casualties emerging, Mr Ahern said nobody wanted to see any civilian killed or injured, adding it was his hope that the targets would remain "focused and restricted in so far as possible".
Mr Ahern said tonight’s meeting of the UN Security Council - which Ireland chairs for the month of October - would provide the US with the opportunity to give a full report on last night’s action.
He said the US had been "extremely responsible for the last four weeks" and commended its diplomatic efforts to form a worldwide coalition.
But Mr Ahern said the US and Europe were "very conscious" of the humanitarian issue in this "war situation".
He said the Government would use tonight’s Security Council meeting to "make sure both issues are dealt with side by side and not one to the exclusion of the other".