Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 9 May 1990

Vol. 398 No. 5

Written Answers. - Arab League Delegation.

Mervyn Taylor

Question:

22 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he raised all or any of the following matters with the delegation of the Arab League which he met in Luxembourg on 2 April 1990 (1) the sending and supply into Ireland of shiploads of arms and explosives by one or other of the member states; (2) the developments by one of their member states, namely Iraq, of binary chemical weapons and the fact that Iraq used such chemical weapons against Iran and against the Kurdish population in Iraq and (3) the threat by one of their member states, namely Iraq, to consume half of the State of Israel by fire with chemical weapons; if he will indicate the reply on any of these issues which was given by the Arab League Delegation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Collins)

No. The meeting on 2 April in Luxembourg between the European Community Troika and the Arab League Committee on the Intifada was devoted to the issue of Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories. I participated as President of the Foreign Ministers meeting in European Political Cooperation, along with my Troika colleagues, the Foreign Ministers of France and Italy and the Commissioner with responsibility for relations with the Mediterranean region.

The supply of arms and explosives to Ireland by any member of the Arab League would be a bilaterial issue between Ireland and the country in question. The Dáil is aware that this question has arisen in relation to Libya and that it has been pursued bilaterally with Libya. As Libya was not represented at the meeting on 2 April, there was obviously no opportunity for me to pursue the matter further on that occasion.

In a speech on 2 April in Baghdad, President Saddam Hussein revealed that Iraq possesses binary chemical weapons and threatened to use them against Israel if Israel attacked Iraq. At the time of the Luxembourg meeting, the statement had not been seen or considered by the Twelve. Thus, the Troika was not mandated to bring the matter up at the meeting.

As Presidency, Ireland subsequently initiated consultations on the subject, which culminated in the issue on 20 April of a statement by the Twelve on the threatened use of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, a copy of which I have placed in the Dáil Library.