Fine Gael in government would "lead the charge" for the dropping of United Nations sanctions against Iraq, the party's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, has pledged.
"The Americans and their allies won the Gulf War: they are losing the peace with the continuance of these sanctions," he claimed. Welcoming a similar call from the Fianna Fail MEP Mr Niall Andrews, Mr O'Keeffe added that he had not heard any strong voice from the Government on the issue. "Fine Gael in government will give that lead and we will be pressing the issue at European Union and United Nations level," he said.
He urged the Government to speak frankly to the US administration, saying: "The duty of friends is to tell the plain, unvarnished truth to one another. What we should be saying to the Americans is that the sanctions have not worked, insofar as they have not achieved their objective of getting rid of Saddam Hussein." Whatever case there might have been for sanctions after the Gulf War, it was now time to take account of the suffering in Iraq. "I am in favour of a programme of aid to the people of Iraq who have suffered so much from these sanctions and from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein," Mr O'Keeffe said.
If implemented, the position outlined by the Fine Gael spokesman would represent a dramatic reversal of Government policy, which has been to support the sanctions while at the same time expressing "deep concern about the suffering of the people of Iraq, especially children". The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, raised the issue with the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, last March.
The Minister pointed out in the Dail last May that the imposition and administration of the sanctions were primarily a matter for the UN Security Council. "The council continues to impose sanctions on Iraq as a result of that government's refusal to co-operate with the UN Special Commission appointed to verify the dismantling of Iraq's programme to acquire weapons of mass destruction," Mr Cowen said in response to a question from the Labour spokesman, Mr Michael D. Higgins.
If the Government succeeds in its current campaign to secure a seat on the Security Council, led by Mr Ahern and Mr Cowen, Ireland will be directly involved in the administration of the sanctions. The vote is expected in late October or early November.
Meanwhile, President Saddam has condemned the leaders of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as "traitors" for allowing the US and Britain to launch air-strikes on Iraq from bases in the Gulf.