The Taoiseach has rejected Opposition claims that the Government is assisting the US military build-up against Iraq, but anti-war activists claim "hundreds" of US soldiers in desert uniform passed through Shannon Airport yesterday.
"We have honoured our UN obligations and continue to do that," Mr Ahern insisted, in response to claims that US military aircraft landing at Shannon Airport are carrying weapons, in contravention of Irish law and international agreements.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin yesterday, Mr Ahern said: "I don't think that's correct." He said the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, "has set out very clearly what our position on that is and we continue to comply with what we set out previously".
Opposition parties have demanded clarification and the Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said the Government "appears to have been quietly co-operating with the huge military build-up for war".
A "peace camp" has been established to observe and film activity at Shannon.
A leading activist, Mr Tim Hourigan, said he and others saw "hundreds" of US soldiers in desert camouflage emerge from a civilian aircraft yesterday afternoon.
He claimed US military personnel and weapons were coming through constantly and that a US navy cargo plane had landed in Shannon at 10.30 a.m. last Friday.
A Department of Transport spokesman said any civilian flight carrying arms, including soldiers with weapons, would need permission from the Irish authorities. A total of 30 requests of this nature from different sources was granted last year: 29 overflights and one landing. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said: "For landings of foreign military aircraft, we receive assurances that the aircraft is unarmed and does not carry arms, ammunition or explosives." Last year there was a total of 2,460 foreign military overflights in the State, an increase of 694 on 2001, according to official figures. The details of which countries were involved have not been released.
A US Embassy spokeswoman said "great care" was taken to ensure correct legal procedures were followed when US personnel were travelling via Shannon. They were not necessarily on combat missions, she added.
The Opposition is seeking clarification from the Government on whether US military aircraft using Shannon are shipping arms to the Gulf in preparation for a war against Iraq.
Both Fine Gael and the Labour yesterday called for an early reconvening of the Dáil for a debate on Shannon and the possibility of war.
Fine Gael's Foreign Affairs spokesman, Mr Gay Mitchell, said it is unlikely the US troops passing through Shannon are not armed. Green Party chairman, Mr John Gormley, said people "would have to be naive" to believe arms were not on board the US planes using Shannon. "Marines always travel with their arms," he said.
Mr Mitchell said Mr Cowen should clarify immediately the nature of the US cargoes passing through Shannon. If the US planes were carrying guns or other arms it would be an issue of concern as it has not been sanctioned, Mr Mitchell said.
Mr Rabbitte said with war against Iraq seemingly imminent "the country needs to hear from" both Mr Cowen and the Taoiseach. He added that, if true, reports of US arms being transported through Shannon were a serious cause for concern. "This is a matter on which the Oireachtas should be consulted, and that has not happened."
Meanwhile, at the weekend, the US Defence Secretary, Mr Donald Rumsfeld, authorised the deployment of another 62,000 US troops to the Gulf.
About 150,000 US and British troops will be in the region by next month.
In Los Angeles, an estimated 15,000 protesters heard calls against the war from the actor Martin Sheen, Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters and the singer Jackson Browne.
