Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I take all threats seriously. As I noted in my initial reply, there always will be a certain element of danger. This is a Chapter VII operation and is similar to any operation in a troubled African country such as, for example, Liberia, where great fears were expressed in advance of the mission but which ultimately worked out very well. This statement was made by a representative of one rebel group. As Deputy Deenihan is aware, there is a number of rebel groups, which appear to agree on one thing only, namely, a change of government. Their political objectives and to an extent even their military objectives appear to be widely diverse.

In addition, there also is a number of roving bands of what one would describe as bandits rather than rebels. They operate on the Chadian-Sudanese border and appear to pose the greatest threat. One must put this matter into context. This was a single statement by one spokesman for one of many rebel groups that operate in Chad. Although I agree with Deputy Deenihan that the rebels displayed more military ability than had been anticipated in their recent operations, they did not attempt to engage the French forces, who were present flying the French flag, nor did they interfere with any EU forces, to whom they were in close proximity. This indicates that their targets, apart from the Administration in Chad, are generally soft targets, such as unarmed civilians, aid workers etc. They are most unwilling to confront any army that is properly constituted and armed.

The force commander, his staff, all members of the Government and other Irish parties who speak on this matter are at pains to point out that this is a humanitarian mission. We have no brief for either the Government in Chad or the rebels. Our sole aim is to protect the unfortunate victims of the conflict in Darfur and those across the border in Chad and the Central African Republic.

I have the greatest confidence in the commander of the multinational force, an Irish general called Pat Nash. He has considerable experience and is highly capable. He decided he would wait until sufficient logistical supports and enablers were put in place to ensure the mission would be as safe as it could possibly be made. That is his duty and he has kept us informed throughout. It is our job to provide sufficient protection for the troops and to ensure they are trained sufficiently to ensure they will remain safe in this hostile environment. We have done so.

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