Ahern must state US war opposition

THE hands of those calling for military action against Baghdad will be greatly strengthened

Fri, 14 Feb, 2003 - 00:00

the existence of a second tape attributed to Osama bin Laden saying he wants to die a martyr this year in the “eagle’s belly”, an apparent reference to a suicide attack on the United States.

Coming hot on the heels of the discovery of missiles exceeding the legal range, America will undoubtedly seize on the latest utterances of the al-Qaida leader to justify its inexorable march towards war with or without UN backing.

It will certainly be grist to the Bush administration's mill on the eve of a global protest when 10 million people are expected to take to the streets in the hope that world opinion will convince the US to rein in the dogs of war.