tagged w/ UN Security Council
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United Nations Security Council decisions are portrayed as “the will of the international community,” and Security Council action in support of a national agenda confers moral authority upon that agenda. For this reason it is crucial to understand the tactics by which UN Security Council independence is frequently usurped, and the methods of coercion, intimidation and bribery used to extort approval from reluctant members of the Security Council, or from those members adamantly opposed to a particular course of action.United Nations Security Council decisions are portrayed as “the will of the... more
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In an unprecedented move today, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev openly criticized Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for having said that UN Security Council Resolution 1973 supporting military action in Libya was reminiscent of medieval calls for crusades. Putin also called the resolution 'flawed' and 'defective'.
President Medvedev found the term 'crusade' unacceptable in describing the military intervention in Libya. This is the first time that the Russian President overtly opposed his prime minister, as the Russian presidential elections are only a year away.
According to Russian news agencies, Medvedev stated that 'it is unacceptable to use terms that lead to a clash of civilizations, words like 'crusade' or others. Otherwise, everything could actually take a turn for the worst. Everyone should keep that in mind.' He added: 'We must be very careful about any statements we make regarding Libya'.
http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/medvedev-slams-putin-s-comments-about-libyan-interventionIn an unprecedented move today, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev openly criticized... more
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The head of the Arab League has criticized international strikes on Libya, saying they caused civilian deaths.
The Arab League's support for a no-fly zone last week helped overcome reluctance in the West for action in Libya. The U.N. authorized not only a no-fly zone but also "all necessary measures" to protect civilians.
Amr Moussa says the military operations have gone beyond what the Arab League backed.
Moussa has told reporters Sunday that "what happened differs from the no-fly zone objectives." He says "what we want is civilians' protection not shelling more civilians."
U.S. and European strikes overnight targeted mainly air defenses, the U.S. military said. Libya says 48 people were killed, including civilians.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2011/03/libya-airstrikes-military-tripoli-kadafi.htmlThe head of the Arab League has criticized international strikes on Libya, saying they... more
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At 6:30PM EST local time New York, China's representative to the UN announced that the draft resolution proposed by France/Lebanon/Britain was passed with ten countries in favor, none against, and 5 abstaining. China and Russia were expected to abstain, however, it was surprising to learn that Germany was also among those nations that abstained.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Breaking: UN Security Council passes resolution for Libya no-fly zone - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/breaking-un-security-council-passes-resolution-to-pass-libya-no-fly-zone#ixzz1GtsASn2BAt 6:30PM EST local time New York, China's representative to the UN announced... more
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North Korea vowed a military response if the UN Security Council reprimands it for the sinking of South KoreaNorth Korea vowed a military response if the UN Security Council reprimands it for the... more
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For several days, Israel has been able to contain some of the fallout from the flotilla massacre by withholding information about the dead and injured. The object of this exercise has clearly been to slow the flow of information in the hope that by the time the most damning facts become known, the international media’s attention will have turned elsewhere.
But the dead now have names and faces and one turns out to be a nineteen-year-old American: Furkan Dogan.
Dogan is alleged to have been shot with five bullets, four in the head.
Does the Obama administration intend to investigate the circumstances in which one of its citizens was killed? Protecting the lives of Americans is after all the most fundamental responsibility of our government.
Dogan’s death was presumably instant, but according to Al Jazeera’s Jamal Elshayyal there were others on board the Mavi Marmara who died because Israeli soldiers refused to treat their injuries.
“After the shooting and the first deaths, people put up white flags and signs in English and Hebrew. An Isreali [on the ship] asked the soldiers to take away the injured, but they did not and the injured died on the ship.”
Crimes have been committed and since the suspects all acted under the direction of the Israeli government and its defense forces and took place on international waters outside Israel’s area of legal jurisdiction, “a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards” — a demand made by the UN Security Council with the support of the Obama administration — cannot be conducted by the Israeli government or a commission appointed by them. An investigation conforming to international standards must also be an international inquiry.For several days, Israel has been able to contain some of the fallout from the... more
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We could say the same for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The oppression that is Iran should thank Israel and neocons in the United States.
Israel’s far-right government only helps Iran
By thumbing its nose at the U.S. and the world, Israel makes it harder to build a coalition against Iranian nukes
By Juan Cole
For more from Juan Cole, visit his blog Informed Comment.
The far right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have a choice between expanding settlements in the West Bank or achieving a global consensus on the need to sanction and coerce Iran into giving up its nuclear enrichment program. Netanyahu is so dedicated to the settler project that he cannot see the ways in which it forestalls other, broader Israeli objectives.
The serious policy differences between Netanyahu and the Obama administration are helping Iran, and reducing pressure on that country.
The Times of London reportsthat Netanyahu was put firmly in his place by President Obama during his visit to Washington earlier this week. At one point Obama is said to have left Netanyahu for dinner with Michelle and the girls after urging the prime minister to contact him if anything changed.
Obama is said to have still been bristling at the slight of Vice President Joe Biden when the latter was in Israel. (In the form of an announcement of the building of more homes on occupied Palestinian land.) The Palestinian Authority leadership, including President Mahmoud Abbas, refuses to restart peace negotiations as long as Netanyahu refuses to commit to a freeze of Israeli colonization efforts. Abbas had been about to set aside his objections and begin proximity talks when Netanyahu’s government announced a substantial settlement expansion. And they made the announcement on the very day of Biden’s arrival to kick off the talks with the Palestinians. Predictably, the Palestinians pulled out of the talks.
There may have been more to the policy differences than just the lack of a state dinner. A report at the Herald Scotland site that the U.S. was moving bunker busting bombs to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia set off a flurry of speculation that the U.S. was getting ready to move against Iran.
But in reality, the U.S. may well have been sequestering the bunker busters and denying them to Israel. Netanyahu came to Washington in part to ask for jets and other materiel, including the bunker busters.
Netanyahu has called for “crippling” sanctions to be applied to Iranif it does not dismantle its civilian nuclear enrichment program. Among the sanctions Netanyahu sought was probably a gasoline embargo. The call was immediately rejected by the Russian Federation (and probably by China behind the scenes).
The sanctions resolution being prepared by the U.S. on behalf of the United Nations was abruptly watered down to meet Russian and Chinese objections. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded to the news, saying sanctions had no ability to harm or influence Iran. (He might have added, “especially watered down ones!”)
That China and Russia know how tense U.S.-Israeli ties are at the moment may also incline them to avoid the sanctions route.
Netanyahu is convinced that Iran is committed to acquiring a nuclear weapon, and is further convinced that such a development would pose an existential threat to Israel. It is unclear why he reaches that conclusion, since Mutually Assured Destruction would operate to deter Iran from attacking Israel (which has 200 nuclear warheads), lest it be devastated itself. It is a ludicrous idea that the shrewd and pragmatic leadership in Tehran, which has launched no wars since coming to power and has dealt cannily with a multitude of challenges, consists of erratic madmen who would risk seeing their capital annihilated. Not to mention that there is no good evidence that they have a weapons program, and every reason to think that they are a decade or more away from a nuclear warhead even if they did. Some of the more hysterical pronouncements attributed to Netanyahu and to his foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, if true, would also raise questions about the safety of the nukes in Israel’s arsenal.
The long and the short of it is that Israel and the U.S. have poor relations for the moment, and that the rest of the world is aware of it, making it harder for the two of them to pressure the UN Security Council.We could say the same for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The oppression that is Iran... more
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A striking satellite image released yesterday shows the moment North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday in defiance of international pressure.
The image was taken from an altitude of 308 miles (496km) by the WorldView-1 satellite moments after the rocket blasted off at 11.10am local time.
North Korea's official news agency said the Taepodong-2 rocket placed a satellite in orbit that is now broadcasting revolutionary songs. The Pentagon claimed the launch failed and the rocket broke up and fell into the Pacific Ocean.
The launch triggered an emergency meeting of the UN security council amid fears the launch was a covert military exercise. The rocket is capable of carrying warheads and has a range of 4,160 miles, putting Alaska and Hawaii within its reach.
The WorldView-1 satellite is operated by the US imaging company Digital Globe, which snapped the North Korean rocket on its launchpad last week using another satellite called Quickbird. Allison Puccioni, a senior image analyst for IHS Jane's, said it was the first time a satellite had captured a rocket mid-launch.
"The significance of this image is quite extraordinary," she said. "I have never seen anything like it."
The image shows a long contrail left behind by the rocket as it reaches supersonic speeds over the Korean peninsula.
The rocket itself appears in white at the end of the contrail. Puccioni said analysts are still studying the image, which appears to show the rocket at an angle.
"It looks as though there's been a slight change in its trajectory," she said. The rocket may have been caught during a stage separation.
The camera aboard the WorldView-1 satellite has a resolution of 50cm and would have been over North Korea from 11am to midday on the morning of the launch. It travels at 17,000mph and can only take one picture as it hurtles overhead.
Puccioni suspects Pyongyang had timed the controversial launch to coincide with the satellite's arrival, in the hope of maximising publicity of the launch.A striking satellite image released yesterday shows the moment North Korea launched a... more
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On January 27, 2003, the Guernica reproduction hanging outside the entrance of the United Nations Security Council, was covered with a large blue curtain. Press Secretary of the U.N., Fred Eckhard, said the covering provided "an appropriate background for the cameras."
Obviously some were concerned that Picasso's antiwar masterwork would not make a good backdrop for speeches and press conferences advocating the bombing and invasion of Iraq. As the United States talks about it's "shock and awe" strategy (the potential launching of over 800 Cruise Missiles against Baghdad in two days), and it's willingness to use "bunker busting nuclear bombs" against Iraq... Picasso's work is a chilling reminder of what such military operations would mean for civilian populations.
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It is important to understand the amount of censorship in a so called "free nation"
Read the article at link.On January 27, 2003, the Guernica reproduction hanging outside the entrance of the... more
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"The United States late Saturday blocked approval of a UN Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel and expressing concern at the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas.
US deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff said the United States saw no prospect of Hamas abiding by last week's council call for an immediate end to the violence. Therefore, he said, a new statement at this time "would not be adhered to and would have no underpinning for success, would not do credit to the council."
France's UN Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert, the current council president, announced that there was no agreement among members on a statement. But he said there were "strong convergences" among the 15 members to express serious concern about the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the need for "an immediate, permanent and fully respected cease-fire."
Arab nations demanded that the council adopt a statement calling for an immediate cease-fire following Israel's launch of a ground offensive in Gaza earlier Saturday, a view echoed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Libya's UN Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi, the only Arab member of the council, said the United States objected to "any outcome" during the closed council discussions on the proposed statement.
He said efforts were made to compromise and agree on a weaker press statement but there was no consensus.""The United States late Saturday blocked approval of a UN Security Council... more
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Bush administration makes concessions on agreement, but Iraq reluctant to approve troop agreement.
Iraqi government has made more demands for more changes to the status of forces security agreement with the United States. The government of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki had already demanded changes to the agreement last month and Last week the US sent an amended draft proposal back for approval. But even with the US acquiescence to Iraqi demands on Tuesday, Iraqi government spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh told the London based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, "The US reply to the Iraqi amendments is not satisfactory and there are many points that still need clarification and amendment." The agreement must be approved by the Iraqi parliament before the 31 December 2008 deadline of the U.N. mandate that allows US troops to operate legally within Iraq. Without an agreement the US would have to go back to the Security Council to get an extension.
Gareth Porter is a historian and investigative journalist on US foreign and military policy analyst. He writes regularly for Inter Press Service on US policy towards Iraq and Iran. Author of four books, the latest of which is Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam.
Related story: http://current.com/items/89453025/us_iraq_troop_deal_crushing_defeat_for_bush.htmBush administration makes concessions on agreement, but Iraq reluctant to approve... more
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Reported on September 12, 2008.
Reports say that top war criminal Mladic is heavily guarded by armed men and is not willing to surrender to the U.N war crimes tribunal. He along with Goran Hadzic, a Croatian-Serb, are stil at large.
Click on the link to read more. Reported on September 12, 2008.
Reports say that top war criminal Mladic is heavily... more
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This was reported on September 17, 2008. The Prosecutor is said to file a new indictment for the accused war criminal. Click on the link for more. This was reported on September 17, 2008. The Prosecutor is said to file a new... more
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German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called on Iran to stop playing for time and come up with a "clear answer" to the latest offer from the West. Iran missed a Saturday deadline to respond to the offer which would see the UN freeze sanctions if Tehran halts its nuclear program.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged Iran to stop playing for time and deliver a "clear answer" to an offer from Western powers over its nuclear program.
Iran missed an informal deadline on Saturday to respond to the offer from the United Nation Security Council's five permanent members, plus Germany, to hold off on tougher sanctions if Tehran freezes its uranium enrichment program.
In an interview with SPIEGEL, published on Saturday, Steinmeier appealed to Iran "to no longer play for time, but give us a usable answer to our offers -- stop dallying." He said that the Western powers had made a clear offer that deserved a "clear answer, and soon." "It would be negligent not to use the current opportunity," he said.
The minister warned that if Iran continues to delay then the Western powers would have increase the pressure with sanctions. "No one wants to keep going in that direction. But it is Tehran that holds the key."
Read more...German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called on Iran to stop playing for... more
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The UN Security Council has renewed the mandate for peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region for another year after resolving last-minute differences.
The decision had been complicated by the International Criminal Court's move to indict Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for alleged genocide.
The resolution notes an African Union request for the Council to postpone the ICC's work but does no more than that.
Fourteen of the Council's 15 members voted in favour but the US abstained.
African countries had argued that an indictment of the Sudanese president would damage prospects for peace and that any legal moves should be put off for a year, but Washington said a delay would send out the wrong message.
Read more...The UN Security Council has renewed the mandate for peacekeepers in Sudan's... more
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Jerry Fowler, president of the Save Darfur Coalition, responded to criminal charges against Sudan president Omar al-Bashir introduced today by International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. Al-Bashir has been charged with genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity for overseeing the Darfur genocide which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives through violence, disease and malnutrition.
"Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo's charges against al-Bashir underscore the need for the U.N. Security Council to finally act decisively with a comprehensive strategy for Sudan. The world at-large, primarily the Security Council, has allowed al-Bashir to continue his reign of destruction, recalcitrance and violence with utter impunity. These charges must now sober al-Bashir's international apologists who continue to shield and protect the Khartoum regime from meaningful measures with meaningful consequences.
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And that includes China, the US, and others that continue to turn a blind eye to the genocide in Darfur for OIL money. They say "never again." Now is the chance to prove those words are sincere.
Jerry Fowler, president of the Save Darfur Coalition, responded to criminal charges... more
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The UN Security Council is on a mission to Africa to look at the continent's wars and see how they might be ended.
The mission is due to have its first discussions with Somalia's government and its opponents, then go to Sudan and several other countries at war.
It has decided it is too dangerous to hold its Somali talks on Somali soil - they will be held in Djibouti instead.
The Security Council is also hoping to broker the first official direct talks between the Somalis.
BBC World Affairs correspondent Mark Doyle, who is travelling with the mission, says there is less optimism about the situation in Sudan.
The mass displacement of civilians in the country's troubled western province of Darfur is still unresolved, and the peace agreement between the north and south of the country is in the midst of new tensions.
The mission will also visit the Democratic Republic of Congo, where millions of people have been displaced by fighting in the east of the country.The UN Security Council is on a mission to Africa to look at the continent's wars... more
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