The Minister for Foreign Affairs has strongly defended the use of Shannon airport by American military aircraft, rejecting calls for landing and refuelling facilities to be withdrawn from them.
Speaking against a motion from the Green Party, Sinn Féin, the Socialist Party and Independents, Mr Cowen said military aircraft from many countries had been refuelling at Shannon for many decades. "Claims that this Government has adopted a new policy which undermines Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality are nonsense. They are nothing more than political opportunism."
Mr Cowen was opposing a private members motion calling on the Government to apply all possible pressure to prevent an attack on Iraq and to immediately withdraw all landing and refuelling facilities at Shannon Airport for US military planes and other aircraft.
Mr Cowen said the practice of military aircraft refuelling at Shannon or overflying Ireland on their way to or from North America had "continued throughout the Cold War and all the conflicts, wars and upheavals of the past 50 years. It has been maintained under successive governments comprising various political parties."
Mr Cowen said Ireland was not tied to the United States by any mutual defence commitment "but Ireland and the United States are good friends".
The motion, which will be voted on today, was moved by the Independents Mr Tony Gregory, Mr Seamus Healy, Dr Jerry Cowley, Mr Finian McGrath and Mr Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party.
Mr Cowen repeated the commitment given earlier by the Taoiseach that the Government would have a Dáil debate on the position to be adopted by Ireland if military action was initiated against Iraq.
"War can be averted and is not inevitable, if Iraq finally divests itself of its weapons of mass destruction now."
Mr Gregory (Independent, Dublin Central) said a leaked United Nations report warned that an attack on Iraq would give rise to half a million direct or indirect casualties, a chronic situation in south and central Iraq for 4.2 million children under five years and one million pregnant and lactating women, two million internally displaced persons and an unknown number of infirm, terminally ill and elderly people, as well as the devastation of bridges and railroad, electricity supplies and provision for water.
He said 68 per cent of respondents in an Irish Times opinion poll had profoundly opposed unilateral US action against Iraq. "This motion notes the widespread belief that the real motivation for a war on Iraq is the desire of the US administration to control Iraq's oil reserves and increase the US's presence in the Middle East region."
Mr McGrath (Independent, Dublin North East) said the motion was about peace and preventing the deaths of thousands of civilians in Iraq. "This debate is not about being anti-American." The motion was also about Ireland's neutrality and the need for the State to stand up and be counted.
Accusing the Government of conning people, he added: "They know that the planes with weapons are coming through. We should stop fuelling the war at Shannon."
Dr Cowley (Independent, Mayo) said the Dáil should know what was happening. "My fear is that we are rushing headlong into a war which will not do anybody any good."
Mr John Gormley (Green Party, Dublin South East) said Mr Cowen was "a performing poodle" for America.
In the Nice referendum debate, he said, the Government had said its amendment would enshrine the concept of neutrality in the Constitution. "Anybody who has observed the comings and goings in Shannon will know that they were grievously misled by the Government and other parties, on the issue."
Mr Aengus Ó Snodaigh (SF, Dublin South East) claimed the Government had repeatedly and deliberately misled the Dáil and the people. The Defence Act stated that nobody could enter or land in the State while wearing any foreign military uniform, except with the written permission of a minister.
The Fine Gael spokesman on foreign affairs, Mr Gay Mitchell, said if the UN passed a further resolution authorising attacks against Iraq, the Dáil would then have its say as to whether it would authorise the use of facilities in Ireland.
"Let us be aware, therefore, that we cannot have it both ways. The day may be coming when we in Dáil Éireann will be asked to decide."
