Coveney ‘can understand why the airstrikes were launched’

IRELAND urged caution over military escalation in Syria by the US, France and UK during a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.

The airstrikes were launched without a UN resolution and therefore bypassed international law on military intervention. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney (inset) said he was “vocal” about Irish concern.

However, he said there was “a lot of support for France and Britain” and the action was endorsed by “virtually” all EU states.

Mr Coveney acknowledged that a UN resolution would not have been possible because thus far each of the 12 resolutions on Syria, including those calling for investigations into serious war crimes, have been “vetoed by Russia”.

He said that he “can understand why military action took place”. Meanwhile, former Irish ambassador to the UN David Donoghue warned of deepening violence and the impact it may have on the refugee crisis. Mr Donoghue said emphasis needs to be put on the “root cause of displacement; a primary root cause of the crisis is conflict”.

He is now working alongside World Vision and other NGO’S in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals – the list of 17 global principles agreed to by every country in the world, aimed at ending poverty, inequality, climate change and promoting peace.