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.

Saddam has already demonstrated a readiness to use such weapons against his own people, so nobody should be under any illusions about his willingness to use them against others. Now is the time to stop him, rather than waiting until he has the means to use such weapons to their maximum effect.

The principles adopted by our government in this regard have been followed by successive governments as part of a long-standing commitment to international peace, according to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The policy goes back to the 1930s.

Speaking as President of the Council of the League of Nations in September 1932, Eamon de Valera caused an international sensation by calling on the world body to stop the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. He spoke out just as forcefully against the Italian invasion of Ethiopia three years later.

Of course, talking peace is not enough, anymore than decrying crime is sufficient to assure the enforcement of law. “Ireland strongly supports the system of collective international security, with the UN at its centre exercising the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,” Mr Cowen emphasised. “This essential function can be realised only when the member States live up to their responsibility under the Charter to accept and carryout the decisions of the Security Council.”

Before first applying for membership of the UN back in1946 Eamon de Valera warned the Dáil that this country should be fully prepared to support a war to ensure the upholding of the obligations of the UN Charter.” The difference between a war such as may arise under the obligations of the Charter and other wars is,” he said,” that this type of war would be a war of enforcement, enforcement of obligations and also enforcement of rights. If there is ever to be a rule of law, nations must make up their minds that they will take part in such enforcement.”

We knew what we were getting into then and Mr Cowen deserves to be commended for having the courage and drive to afford leadership on this thorny problem now. The issue is not whether we should support George Bush against, but whether we should support the UN in the enforcement of its Charter. “All countries who believe in an international order based on principles of justice and law have to stand up for the authority of the Security Council,” Mr Cowen declared. “We cannot pick and choose the easy options.”