Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:28 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's views on the continued air attacks being mounted by the United States and Britain against Iraq; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4375/99]
Written Answers. - Actions Against Iraq.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:57 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will call on the United States of America and the United Kingdom to halt military operations against Iraq to allow negotiations to take place with the United Nations on the inspections impasse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4351/99]
John Bruton
Ceist:60 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his view on a newspaper reports (details supplied) that UNSCOM has been used as a cover for espionage in Iraq over a three year period by the United States, Britain and Israel and that the oil for food programme in Iraq under UN Resolution 986 has operated in a way that has enhanced one party control within Iraq; and his further views on whether these and other reports indicate that there should be a radical reappraisal of the effectiveness and objects of United Nations policy towards Iraq and towards the dissemination of weapons of mass destruction among other states not subject to similar sanctions to date. [1513/99]
Michael D. Higgins
Ceist:70 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland supports the plan submitted by France to the UN Security Council which calls for the lifting of the oil embargo and a looser system of monitoring Iraq's arsenal of weapons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4369/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 57, 60 and 70 together.
The situation in Iraq remains a source of grave concern. There are ongoing military actions involving British and US aircraft, progress at the United Nations in addressing the underlying problems of Iraq's non-compliance with resolutions of the Security Council is slow and mean time the plight of the Iraqi people as a whole remains unrelieved, with considerable hardship and suffering amongst the most vulnerable.
For significant progress to be made, it is essential that Iraq demonstrate its willingness to comply fully with the resolutions adopted by the Security Council, the body with primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. The Government regrets that the regime has not so complied, particularly as regards the resolutions addressing the question of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. This failure was the direct cause of the air strikes by the US and the UK in mid December and the simultaneous suspension of the work of the UN weapons inspectors.
Throughout January, the UN Security Council discussed options leading to the full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions. On 30 January it decided to establish three separate panels to address issues relating to arms inspections, humanitarian assistance and prisoners of war under the chairmanship of the Permanent Representative of Brazil. These panels are to report not later than 15 April 1999.
France, which is a permanent member of the Council, has proposed the establishment of a long-term security effort aimed at preventing the development of weapons of mass destruction by Iraq, the lifting of the oil embargo and the implementation of a system of economic and financial monitoring aimed at ensuring that Iraq develops its economy in a transparent way. I welcome the general thrust of the French proposal and am confident that its contents will be considered by the panels mentioned above.
As regards military action against Iraq we were deeply disappointed that the use of force was deemed necessary in December. Clearly it would have been preferable if it could have been avoided. We are monitoring the current military situation and note that it appears to be mainly directed against military targets. We are concerned at any such action, both because it lessens the chances of the suffering of the Iraqi people being alleviated and because of its destabilising consequences on the region as a whole. We hope that the current phase of military action will soon be terminated.
I have noted the newspaper reports referred to by Deputy Bruton. As I indicated above both the issues of arms inspection and the supply of humanitarian assistance are the subject of panels set up under the authority of the Security Council. I am confident that the work of these panels, as well as proposals such as those put forward by France, will lead to the reappraisal of both the objectives and effects of UN policy towards Iraq which he seeks. I am also sure that the lessons learned from the implementation of the system of arms inspections set up to deal in the case of Iraq will prove useful in similar cases in the future.