Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I come with the facts as available to me and I communicate them as best I can.

While this clarifies the international legal position on the status of white phosphorus, it does not, of course, alleviate concerns about the use of conventional munitions, including white phosphorus, in areas where civilians are present. This Government has clearly and consistently expressed the view before, during and after the events in Falluja, that every possible effort must be made to keep to a minimum the use of force in built-up areas and to avoid civilian casualties. That has been made clear by us on several occasions. The Government of Iraq has now announced that it is sending a team to Falluja to investigate the circumstances in which incendiaries were used in that battle. We look forward to the outcome of that investigation.

Other than during large-scale fighting, I am not aware of reports that the Red Cross, Red Crescent, or international media, have been prevented by multinational forces, from entering areas of Iraq. Unfortunately, it seems rather to be the case that potential attacks and kidnappings by insurgents have largely confined them to areas where they can be protected. We in Ireland are very aware of the dangers facing journalists following the kidnapping last month of Mr. Rory Carroll. A free media is an essential element to a democratic society, and it is important that we express our strong support for the courageous and determined efforts of both Iraqi and international journalists——