Government 'gutless' says ex-UN official

Denis Halliday, a former assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, has described the Government as "gutless" for its failure to oppose the planned US/British war against Iraq.

Mr Halliday worked as UN humanitarian co-ordinator in Iraq until he resigned in 1998 in protest at UN sanctions which he described as "genocidal".

Speaking at a press conference in Dublin today, he accused Ireland of putting economic prosperity and self-interest above the lives of Iraqi civilians through its support for the US war effort.

"What happened to the good work we do in peacekeeping for the United Nations?" he asked.

"What happened to GOAL, Concern and Trocaire, the good work that the Irish do all over the world, the work we did in Timor, the work we did in Lebanon?

"All this is going down the drain because we have a gutless Government that doesn't have the courage to stand up to the United States."