Jim O'Keeffe
Question:124 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the axis of evil foreign policy approach of President Bush. [6752/02]
Written Answers. - Foreign Policy.
I have taken careful note of President Bush's State of the Union address. The Irish Government shares his concerns regarding the ongoing threat from terrorist networks. We also take the view that there are varying degrees of concern in relation to the ambitions of North Korea, Iraq and Iran to acquire and develop weapons of mass destruction. It is difficult to argue with President Bush's observation that North Korea is a country arming itself with missiles and weapons of mass destruction while its citizens starve. Nor can we dispute that the Iraqi Government has used chemical weapons against its own citizens or that it refuses access to UN weapons inspectors. In relation to Iran, there are concerns about the efforts of unelected elements to frustrate the intentions of the government and to stand in the way of the democratic will of the people. However, a number of EU representatives, myself included, have questioned the accuracy of the term "axis of evil" as we do not see a clear equivalence between the positions of those countries.
The Government very much hopes that there will be no extension of military action beyond that undertaken in Afghanistan. We will make every effort to ensure that any further effort to eradicate international terrorism is achieved through peaceful means. I note that President Bush and other leading figures in his Administration have denied that there is an immediate intention to extend the current scope of US military action.
The Government believes that any difficulties between the US and the countries cited by President Bush should be resolved by dialogue. In particular, we call on Iraq to allow the early return of UN weapons inspectors. At the same time as tackling international terrorism directly, it is equally necessary to address those extreme conditions, endemic in so many parts of the world, such as abject poverty and acute injustice, which can give rise to conflict and terrorism.