Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Mar 1998

Vol. 488 No. 7

Written Answers. - Nuclear Weapons.

John Gormley

Question:

97 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has satisfied himself that reports that the President of the United States had signed a directive allowing for the use of nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict in Iraq is correct; if so, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is in direct contravention of the opinion delivered by the International Court of Justice regarding the admissibility of these weapons under international law; his views on whether this action is totally unacceptable; and the measures, if any, the Government has taken to express its concern. [7472/98]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Andrews)

I am aware of media reports which reflect the issues raised by the Deputy in the first part of his question but I have seen no evidence to confirm them. On the other hand, a US Department of State spokesperson stated on 5 February 1998 that reports that the US was planning to use nuclear weapons to destroy chemical and biological weapons facilities in Iraq had no basis in fact and the US had no plans or intentions to use nuclear weapons.

It is also relevant to recall in this context that, in April 1995, the US formally declared to the United Nations Security Council that it would not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states that are parties to the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty except in the unlikely event of an attack by a non-nuclear weapon state allied or associated with a nuclear weapons state against a nuclear weapon state or its allies. Both the US and Iraq are parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.