President Bush will today emphasise the US's determination to disarm Iraq during a visit by the Taoiseach to the White House.
If a UN Security Council resolution is agreed before the meeting, Mr Ahern will take the opportunity to outline the Government's attitude to unilateral action by the US.
Mr Ahern told the Dáil earlier this week that he would make it clear that the Government "differs" from the Bush administration, but he added: "I will not insult the United States."
Last night, Government sources were keen to emphasise that a 30-minute meeting between the two leaders following the traditional presentation of a bowl of shamrock would be dominated by Northern Ireland rather than Iraq.
Following his meeting with Mr Bush, Mr Ahern will have talks with Democrat senator Mr Ted Kennedy on Capitol Hill this morning.
So far, Mr Kennedy has been the most vocal leading US politician to criticise the Bush administration's handling of the Iraqi crisis.
Under the original schedule for today's events, Mr Bush had intended only to welcome the Taoiseach to the White House in remarks to the press, before retreating to an Oval Office meeting with Mr Ahern.
Now, however, it appears that Mr Bush will use the event, which will be carried live by a number of US networks, to again outline the US argument that action must be taken, and taken now, against President Saddam Hussein.
Later, Mr Bush and the Taoiseach will attend a lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mr Dennis J. Hastert, which will be attended by a host of leading politicians.
Tonight, Mr Ahern will deliver a major lecture to the World Bank before a private dinner with the bank's president, Mr James Wolfensohn, who visited Ireland last year.
Tomorrow, Mr Ahern will meet local representatives from the US Special Olympics team, which will travel to Ireland in June for the world games.
