US Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement to the UN today in which he claimed Iraq was in breech of UN resolution 1441, has been met with a sceptical reception Ireland.
The Green Party said the presentation did not make a convincing case for a new resolution to be tabled before the United Nations Security Council and does not justify a war against Iraq.
Party chairman and foreign affairs spokesperson, Mr John Gormley, said Mr Powell's information was "flimsy" and a "last-ditch effort" to secure UN backing for an attack on Iraq.
"The presentation by Mr Powell to the UN was slick and dramatic but was based mostly on assertion. His statement begs the question - if the US has had such damning information in its possession why has it not passed this on to the arms inspectors for verification."
Labour Party spokesman on Foreign Affairs Mr Michael D Higgins also questioned why the US had not given the information to UN inspectors. He said Mr Powell's claims should now be tested on the ground by Dr Blix's inspection team.
"It is also essential that the inspectors be provided with additional personnel and resources to allow them to discharge their mandate," he said.
Fine Gael spokesperson on foreign affairs Mr Gay Mitchell did not directly comment on the credibility of Mr Powell's presentation but insisted any strike on Iraq must comply with international law.
"If the US can persuade the Security Council, or if the UN Inspectors report convinces the Security Council, the rule of international law can be applied.
"Unilateral action does not comply with the rule of law."
Sinn Féin TDs meanwhile, will hand in a letter to the US and British embassies tomorrow urging the respective countries no to go to war.
Mr Richard Boyd Barrett, chairperson of the Irish Anti War Movement said the statement contained no "conclusive proof that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction".
"Even Powell has had to talk in terms of 'probability' and things being 'deeply troubling' rather than any certainty that Iraq possesses the weapons thatthe US alleges," Mr Barret said.
He also said the evidence of links between Saddam's regime and Al Qaeda was equally suspect.
"The truth is that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the war mongers in the US administration have been planning a war since at least September 2000 and have simply looking to fabricate a pretext for an attack," he said.