The Labour Party has called on the Government to challenge any US unilateral attack on Iraq in the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice.
The Labour MEP for Dublin, Mr Proinsias De Rossa, said today he suspected that the US was preparing for pre-emptive, unilateral strike against Iraq.
Mr De Rossa, who is part of a twenty-strong delegation of MEPS to the US and UN, was speaking following a meeting in Washington with US Senators and Congressmen, including Sen Edward Kennedy.
"From my discussions with members of the US Congress and Senate, it is clear that there is less and less pressure from the Bush administration for a second UN resolution and that the US is now actively preparing for a pre-emptive, unilateral strike against Iraq," he said.
"It is my firm belief that such an act would represent a clear breach of existing UN resolutions, including Resolution 1441, and of the UN Charter itself."
Mr De Rossa said that if the US persisted in this approach, there would be an obligation on the international community to challenge it at the International Criminal Court and at the International Court of Justice at the Hague.
"The Government must make clear publicly that it will not support such a course of action by the US. Ireland must clearly oppose this policy at the UN."
He also insisted Dr Hans Blix and his team of UN weapons inspectors were making substantial progress and should be given enough time to succeed.