Azores Lajes US Air Force base
Ireland's Catholic bishops have urged the Government not to support any pre-emptive war against Iraq, but to continue to work diplomatically for a solution based on law and humanitarian principles.
In a statement following their spring meeting at Maynooth, the bishops said that there was a danger that the option of a pre-emptive war was being actively considered.
They urged the Government to reject such a course of action.
They said that the recent anti-war demonstrations in Ireland showed that there was profound moral and religious concern at the prospect of war in Iraq.
They also said that they agreed with the view of Pope John Paul and the bishops conferences in the US and Britain that war was always a defeat for humanity.
Three way summit
US President George W Bush is to meet the British and Spanish Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar, in the Azores islands on Sunday.
Portuguese Prime Minister José Manuel Durão Barroso will also attend.
The White House said the summit is the final stage in the pursuit of a UN resolution on Iraqi disarmament.
The three countries are co-sponsoring the draft resolution at the UN giving Iraq a deadline to disarm or face war.
The White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, has said the Bush administration felt it is important that every last bit of diplomacy would be pursued in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully.
The UN Security Council has no formal meetings on Iraq scheduled, though the permanent members' representatives are to meet informally tonight.
Council president Mamady Traore of Guinea said that diplomatic efforts were deadlocked.
The US today ruled out a tentative Chilean draft which would have given Iraq three more weeks to comply with Resolution 1441.
Before leaving the US top return home today, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said Ireland was still hopeful there would be agreement at the Security Council on a second resolution.
Blair-Chirac conversation
Earlier today, British Prime Minister Tony Blair held a ten-minute phone conversation with Jacques Chirac.
The French president is reported to have told Mr Blair that France is ready to work with Britain to find a solution.
But Paris has said it will still veto any new UN resolution which leads to war.
Downing Street said that during his conversation with Jacques Chirac, Mr Blair insisted that resolution 1441 was still a clear warning of serious consequences if Saddam Hussein failed to disarm.
Mr Blair argues that even if there is no new resolution because of the French veto, the existing 1441 gives enough legal authority for war.
However, he has so far refused to reveal what legal advice has been given to him on this by the British attorney general.
Discussions at the UN on Iraq have not been scheduled for today, but it is believed meetings will take place over the weekend.
As the military build-up in the Gulf region continues, more American warships, all capable of firing cruise missiles, have been transferred from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.This is because of American concerns that Turkey might refuse to allow missiles to fly over its territory. From their new launch positions, they would travel through Saudi air space.General Tommy Franks, who is in charge of US troops in the Gulf, has said everything is now in place for a successful campaign.
