The "diplomatic" UN...
For those who wonder why the UN Secretary-General seems more concerned
about "stability" (in Iraq
and elsewhere) than about human lives, a brief reminder that the United
Nations are subject to the
intervention and pressure of diplomats representing influential and
less influential governments - mostly, of course,
influential governments.
And though Kofi Annan took pains a few days ago not to attack the present
US administration's policies with regard to Iraq
frontally, he got the cold shoulder (and biting remarks in the US press).
At any rate, it is certainly remarkable that the secretary general at
long last decided to openly call the last US war
against Iraq illegal. Those familiar with international law had said
so all along, and so had various members of the
European parliament last year.
How careful the UN were not to critique the illegal war in 2003 is made clear by the following episode.
" [....] Last night [writes Orofessor Karima Bennoume in
Counterpunch,
Feb. 28, 2003], I was invited
to a reception at the United Nations in New York City to fete the release
of an important book about
how to use the UN human rights treaty body system. I set foot on UN
grounds near the eloquent
bronze sculpture donated in 1988 by Luxembourg. Reuterswark's piece
depicts a gun tied into a knot
so that its barrel is shunted upwards, rendering it a useless metal
pretzel. It serves as an evocative
reminder of the UN's basic purpose, as elaborated in the opening sentence
of its Charter: "to save
succeeding generations from the scourge of war... "
When I reached the police checkpoint just inside the main building,
I was stopped by a UN officer. He
told me that I could not enter the hallowed hall wearing the small
"No War" button affixed to the lapel
of the winter coat which covered my suit. I could, he explained, remove
the badge, leave it with
security and proceed to drink wine in the UN dining hall celebrating
the human rights book's release. As
much out of astonishment as principle, I refused. The police officer
indicated that if I did not take off
the peace pin, I would have to leave. Dumbfounded, I blurted out a
few exasperated words to the
effect that I was a citizen of a free country and could express myself
freely. This, he admonished me
correctly, was not my country, but was the United Nations. [...]"