Coalition to be queried on aid for US military

THE Taoiseach will face a barrage of questions over the Government's assistance to the US military build-up in Iraq when the Dáil resumes on Wednesday.

Following the granting of permission to US military personnel to carry weapons through Shannon airport, Opposition parties want clarification on the terms of the agreement. Fine Gael claims the permission for munitions of war to be carried through the State contradicts the recent undertaking of Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen. Ahead of the UN weapons inspectors report today, Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman Gay Mitchell said he would be insisting on a Dáil debate on the issue and that the Taoiseach and relevant ministers

answer specific questions. At brainstorming sessions held over the weekend, Fine Gael and Labour drew up strategies for attacking the Government over the coming months and putting forward their own policies.