Ireland has to honour its UN role

Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen has stressed that military action is not inevitable in Iraq.

It can be avoided if Iraq observes its disarmament obligations by complying with Resolution 1441 of the UN Security Council. But this will only be achieved if the international community demonstrates that it is prepared to insist by military force, if necessary that Iraq fulfils its obligations under the UN Charter.

“All prior experience shows that the Iraqi regime responds only to a credible threat of force,” Mr Cowen stated. The UN Resolution was designed to achieve Iraqi disarmament with out having to resort to the use of force. Saddam Hussein can avoid a military conflict by co-operating fully with the arms inspector sand reassuring the inter national community that his forces have divested themselves of weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.