The Tánaiste, Ms Mary Harney, has accused some elements of the anti-war movement in Ireland of stoking up anti-Americanism under the cover of peaceful protest and humanitarian concern.
Speaking at a Progressive Democrats Party lunch in Limerick today, Ms Harney said: "It's disturbing that the crisis over Iraq has been used to stoke-up anti-Americanism in Ireland and Europe".
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"I am equally clear that there are some people who are working to grow anti-Americanism in Ireland and Europe," she said. She claimed they were doing this "on the back of peaceful protest and humanitarian concerns".
"A transatlantic rift does no-one any good," she added.
Ms Harney also said she was deeply unhappy about the growing hostility towards British prime minister Mr Tony Blair.
She said Mr Blair had been a "great friend" to Ireland. "He has taken risks for peace. He has done more for peace and improved relations between Ireland and Britain than any other British prime minister," she claimed.
However, Mr Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance described Ms Harney's comments as "manifest rubbish".
Mr Cole told ireland.comthat if Ms Harney made an effort to know what was going on, she would realise that on top of the global opposition to the war millions of Americans were against it.
He said the anti-war movement was simply against the foreign policy of the current US administration and President Bush's strategy of having an oil war.
Labour Party spokesman Mr Michael D. Higgins accused Ms Harney of being narrow-minded and out of touch in her comments.
Mr Higgins said: "It is remarkable that the Tanaiste's first significant intervention in the debate over Iraq should be to attack those who are desperately trying to avert a war that according to the UN's own figures would lead to half a million direct or indirect casualties among the Iraqi population."
Mr Richard Boyd Barrett, chairperson of the Irish Anti-War Movement said Ms Harney's comments were "disgraceful and completely unfounded".
Mr Barret said the comments showed the Government's desperation in that it was reduced to tarnishing the anti-war movement rather than responding to why the war in Iraq was justified.
He also said than a number of leading activists in the Irish anti-war movement were in fact US citizens and that the movement was not anti-American but anti-war.
In her speech the Tánaiste said Ireland needed to be "mature and responsible" in its foreign policy. "We are a European member state. We are an open, trading country. Britain and America are among our closest friends. Let's keep it that way," she said.
Ms Harney stressed that as a responsible member of the United Nations, Ireland would uphold international law.
She said: "The UN must be respected and effective. Ireland has never limited its commitment to ensuring this. With the UN and international law, it's in for a penny, in for a pound".
"A responsible foreign policy, which upholds the rule of law, can't pick and choose," she said.
