The Government's position on a war on Iraq is "gutless and amoral," the former UN Assistant Secretary General, Mr Denis Halliday, said today.
Commenting on today's Irish Timesreport of possible State support for the US, Mr Halliday said the Government was supporting the "illegal activity" of the threat of war "which is in breach of article 2 of the UN charter."
Mr Halliday was speaking at a press conference organised by the Irish Anti-War Movement in Dublin where details of this Saturday's International Day of Action against War on Iraq were announced. Up to 20,000 people are expected to participate in the national day of protest in Dublin.
He said a war on Iraq would be "another war of war crimes" and was a "neo-colonial empire-building exercise" by the US of which the main aim was the "crazed crusade for greed and oil."
Referring to President Bush as "a mad moron," and "a crazed president," the former UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Iraq questioned the Irish Government's intentions and asked if Irish economic prosperity "built and sustained on the backs of dead Iraqi children and dead Iraqi families" was worth having.
He said the Government could not support the demise of international law, the demise of the United Nations and could not support the "concept of pre-emptive strikes." He also said Ireland's reputation for the good work done in East Timor and Lebanon "had gone down the drain because we have a gutless Government that doesn't have the courage to stand up to the United States of America."
He said to see the Taoiseach stand up in the Dáil and say that Irish prosperity and American investment overcame every other scruple and every other issue of international law on killing and murder in Iraq was "obscene."
Speaking in the Dáil this morning Mr Ahern dismissed the report that the Government was prepared to offer support to the US with or without a second UN resolution.
"Ireland will continue, as we've traditionally done, to work with the Security Council and work with the United Nations and try to come to a satisfactory conclusion," Mr Ahern told the Dáil.
The national day of protest takes place in Dublin this Saturday and starts at the Garden of Rememberance at 2pm.
Speakers will include the Labour Party's Michael D. Higgins, the Green Party's Patricia McKenna, SIPTU's Des Geraghty and Sinn Fein's Aonghus O Snodaigh.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has also decided to support the protest after a meeting of the General Purposes Committee last night. ICTU General Secretary Mr David Begg will speak at the event.
Music will be performed by Christy Moore, Luka Bloom, Kila and others.
