The Government has abandoned neutrality through its motion on Iraq, the Opposition claimed last night. Ahead of today's special Dáil debate on Iraq, Labour and Fine Gael said they would table amendments to the Government motion.
As Labour accused the Government of abandoning the principles of international law, the party said it deplored the Government's decision to continue providing air services to the US.
The party's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Michael D. Higgins, said the Republic would be the only state in the EU to assist in a pre-emptive attack by the US.
"Political expediency and commercial interests have been allowed to take precedence over human life and the principles of international law," he said.
"Facilities that may quite properly be made available to a friendly country in a time of peace are not appropriate during a time of war, especially when that war is being launched in defiance of the UN Charter."
Fine Gael said the Government motion did not uphold the importance of the UN. Its foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Gay Mitchell, said: "We could not be armed so poorly were it not for the collective security that the UN provides." Calling on the Government to address the damage done to the UN, he said the Dáil should be prepared to say that it opposed the war and could not support it or participate in it.
The party's motion failed to mention the Government's decision to allow the US to continue using Shannon. Its leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said on Sunday that services at the Shannon should be withdrawn if the US went to war without UN endorsement.
The Greens said the Government's position was "spineless and craven", adding that the motion was much worse than expected.
The party's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr John Gormley, said the Government was critical of Iraq and supportive of the US.
Sinn Féin's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Aengus Ó Snodaigh, said Mr Ahern's position was "unprincipled and unjustified". The Socialist Party leader, Mr Joe Higgins, said the Government motion revealed "monumental hypocrisy and utter moral delinquency".
