Ó Caoláin challenges Ahern on support for Iraq war

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was challenged in the Dáil this week on his support for the war in Iraq by allowing Shannon to be used as a military air base and his acceptance of discredited US and British Government claims about weapons of mass destruction. Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said both governments had now been forced to establish inquiries "into the so-called intelligence they peddled" to justify the war.

Ó Caoláin put it to the Taoiseach:

"The efforts of the US and British Governments to deceive their own people and the international community by making allegations about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq have been exposed. In that context, and bearing in mind that both governments have been forced to establish inquiries into the so-called intelligence they peddled, does the Taoiseach regret that he took at face value the information that the two governments proffered?

"The Taoiseach has already stated that he intends to raise the matter with President Bush, but in what terms will he raise the point I have made and the other points that have been addressed this morning? I would like to know exactly how the Taoiseach intends to present it to him. Does the Taoiseach accept, as many people clearly do, that the invasion of Iraq was all about regime change and control? Nobody has missed the kernel of the responses the Taoiseach has given to this set of questions in the past. Does he still hold to the view that the government should not strongly oppose the US and British-led invasion and occupation of Iraq? Does he continue to believe that we should abandon positive neutrality and independent foreign policy on the grounds that it might offend the Bush Administration?"

In response, Ahern ignored the thrust of the question, stating that he would say to Bush that it "would have been better" if "what had happened" (ie the war) had a UN mandate. This, of course, ignored the fact that the US and Britain failed to get such a mandate and went ahead anyway, forcing the UN weapons inspectors in Iraq to end their mission. Ahern completely ignored the fact that he had accepted the lies sold to him by Bush and Blair.