The Government's decision to allow US planes engaged in a military response to the terrorist attacks on Manhattan and Washington refuel at Irish airports and fly over Irish airspace deserves the support of the Irish people. It is in keeping with the solidarity extended to the US governmnet and people after the atrocities. It is legitimate on the basis of the Security Council Resolution 1368, passed soon after those appalling events, and the United Nations Charter, which endorses the right of self-defence. Regrettably, the Government's announcement was not made at last week's Dβil session on the crisis, where it would have allowed for greater political scrutiny and debate.
The Government has ruled out involving Irish soldiers in any US-led operation. But it concurred with a strong statement of solidarity by European Union leaders following their emergency summit last Friday. This said the member-states will undertake such actions according to their means, that they must be targeted and can be directed against states abetting, supporting or harbouring the perpetrators. The agreed statement was reached on the basis of close cooperation between the US and the EU in the crisis and in the conviction that the Bush administration is committed to multilateral action. It is highly significant that they have been able to reach such an agreement, which will involve important EU diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East this week.
Thus three of Ireland's most important international relationships are involved in this decision: with the United Nations, the European Union and the United States. Not to have taken the decision could have jeopardised the relationships, given the fundamental interests involved. Whatever reservations there may be about national political procedure or the precise international mandate for a US military response to the atrocities must take second place to those interests, based on the scale of the events and the virtually unanimous international condemnation of them.
All the more is this so given the marginal role that Irish airports are likely to play in any military operation. In his statement of support for the US government and solidarity with its people to the Dβil last week Mr Ahern did not give unqualified or unconditional support to any US military response. Within the terms of that country's right of self-defence under international law and last week's Security Council resolution he said it "must not be merciless. It must be measured and it must not be indiscriminate. It must enhance the stature of those who carry it out - not diminish them - in the eyes of the world. It must form part of a sustained struggle to overcome global terrorism".
These benchmarks will continue to inform Irish and international judgments of the US response to the atrocities. Judged by its political, diplomatic and military conduct of the crisis so far the US government also adheres to them. Any departure from that commitment would jeopardise the international support it has so readily and skilfully mobilised over the last two weeks.