Annan's "shock and awe" at UN about pre-emptive attack

Opinion, September 2003, www.aljazeerah.info

Annan's "shock and awe" at UN about pre-emptive attacks

Gulf News

27-09-2003 Print friendly format | Email to Friend

It was the turn of the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to produce his "shock and awe" to the gathered members of the General Assembly last week. This mild-mannered and quietly spoken senior diplomat, let it be known in no uncertain terms, that pre-emptive attacks on nations was setting a bad example for the future of the UN. He stated that pre-emptive attacks "could set precedents that resulted in a proliferation of the unilateral and lawless use of force, with or without the creditable use of force."

US President George W. Bush in his address talked about justifying the pre-emptive attacks taken by the US and UK, although he failed to convince many UN members, particularly France. President Jacques Chirac told the Assembly how he saw the future, with a multi-polar world with (presumably hopefully for him) France as the lynch-pin in decision-making issues.

All that is some way down the road, since there is so much disagreement between UN member states and even among EU members. However, what was very significant was Annan's announcement that he plans to set up a panel of eminent personalities to carry out a wide-ranging examination of the UN's role in addressing challenges to peace and security. This will include the necessity, or otherwise, of taking pre-emptive action against rogue states.

It is hoped that at the same time, the panel will examine and recommend the need for additional permanent members of the Security Council, one that is more representative of current world demographics. Yet unfortunately, despite the popularity Annan enjoys, his much-promised "clean-sweep" to end corruption in the UN has failed to materialise. Doubtless, asking a long-serving member of the UN to "clean the stables" will have very little effect.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).