Taoiseach urged to admit Iraq war error

ANTI-WAR groups have called on the Government to acknowledge it made a mistake by allowing US troops and weapons pass through Shannon Airport during the continuing conflict in Iraq.

Reacting to the resignation of US official David Kay, who was in charge of the CIA's hunt for alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, peace protesters said the Irish Government should acknowledge that the war was a sham.

Mr Kay stood down as the head of the Iraq Survey Group late last week after six months at the helm of the US search for WMD, saying he did not believe such weapons ever existed.

Prominent Shannon protester Tim Hourigan said Mr Kay had only confirmed in public what a great many already knew. "This simple truth has been obvious to many people for a long time, yet the politicians continued to hide behind inspections calling for more time," he said.

Mr Hourigan accused the Irish Government of continuing to turn a blind eye to the motivations of the US-led Iraqi invasion as it allowed 3,691 military aircraft and 612 chartered civilian jets with weapons on board travel through Irish airspace.

"The Taoiseach and Brian Cowen told us all that there was nothing unusual going on and that we were not taking part in a war. They continued to argue that Saddam Hussein should give up his WMD, even though the experts in the Department of Foreign Affairs had already told our government that the Downing Street dossier lacked credibility - six months before the invasion in March.

"The Irish government was content to continue to spread lies and turn a blind eye to mass murder to suit political ends."

Mr Hourigan also said recent comments by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that he had always been against the war were an insult.

"It is an insult for Mr Ahern to say he was dead against the war. His government actively assisted the US war effort, and passed a Dáil motion stating the opposite. Nobody believes him. If the Irish Government is still allowing itself to be duped by these warmongers, then will they pretend to believe the same lies when Bush decides to invade Iran or Syria?"

Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) spokesman Fintan Lane said it was clear the US had built its argument for war on non-existent WMD.

"It is now absolutely clear that the pretext for the US invasion of Iraq was built on falsehoods and misinformation, much of which was repeated uncritically by people such as Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.

"The Irish government also has questions to answer. The extension of facilities at Shannon Airport to the US military is, in effect, an endorsement by the Irish government of an entirely discredited US adventure. How can Fianna Fáil and the PDs now justify the misuse of Shannon Airport for US military purposes?" he asked.

However a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs last night said the Department was not prepared to engage on the issue of Mr Kay's resignation and its implications for the justification of the war.

"We would never comment on the resignation of someone in another jurisdiction," the spokesperson said declining to answer further questions on the issue.