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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
July 12, 2005
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| August 4, 2003 |
The United Nations, the United States and the World – Phyllis Bennis |
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| Renowned author, journalist and peace activist, Phyllis Bennis |
"It is an extraordinary time in UN history," says US journalist, author and peace activist, Phyllis Bennis. For eight and a half months, the UN was defiant against Washington's call for war on Iraq. Despite pressure, threats and bribes from the US government, the overwhelming majority of countries - including some of the poorest and least powerful states of the world - stood against war.
The history of the UN has always been "a debate between power and democracy," says Phyllis - a regular reporter on events at the UN. At the end of World War II, the victorious countries were determined to control the peace. Overseen by the US, UK and USSR, the UN Charter was signed in 1945, along with the formation of the General Assembly and the Security Council.
The first 20 years of UN life were paralyzed by the Cold War and colonialism. All of the "Big Three" states used their veto power to block various motions that were not in their interests, and the Security Council became ineffective. Democratic, but not as powerful as the Security Council, the General Assembly became the "engine of the UN." In the era of decolonization, the General Assembly was a place for important work, creating organizations to assist newly independent countries and transferring resources from the North to the South. |
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| "It is an extraordinary time in UN history" |
Suddenly realizing that the UN had been very busy without their influence, the US began a series of attacks on the organization, claiming the UN was "a bastion of socialism" and that it favoured third world countries. In 1985 the US withheld funds owed to the UN and the agencies associated with it. The power base shifted back to the Security Council, and with the ending of the Cold War in the 1990, along with the increasing involvement of the "Blue Helmet" peacekeeping force, the US slowly dropped their criticism of the UN.
Now the US was a superpower without an enemy, it needed to show the world that it was still in power. "It needed a war," says Phyllis, and conveniently Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The administration of Bush senior built up public support and "moved to make the UN the centerpiece on how war would be waged."
By using threats and bribes - including a deal to supply China with cheap oil and arms if it didn't use its veto - the US had a war in the name of the UN. When Yemen voted against a military intervention, a microphone in the hall picked up the US ambassador, who no sooner had the Yemeni ambassador lowered his hand, went over to him, saying "That was the most expensive 'No' vote you ever cast." Three days later all US aid to Yemen - one of the poorest Arab states - was cut.
The US continued to gain control of the UN throughout the 1990s, and although Clinton claimed to be multilateral, his administration was involved in various activities designed to undermine the UN's authority and influence. In 1995, Madeline Albright outrageously admitted, "The UN is a tool for US policy." |
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| The power of global public opinion against war |
When Bush came to power in January 2001, many governments were nervous about such an "ignorant and uncaring President" in the White House. Bush was openly unilateral, and immediately began attempting to renege on previously signed treaties. In his first year in office, the US lost its seat on the UN Human Rights Commission and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The events of September 11 led to a motion passed by the Security Council that the US could fight the attacks like acts of war, but it did not authorize military action in Afghanistan. It was now clear to many that "a broader agenda was at work." Iraq was next, and despite UN Security Council Resolution 1441 enabling inspectors to return to investigate for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and 13 members of the Security Council deliberately emphasizing that the resolution was not an authorization for war, Bush and Blair continued pushing for an invasion.
"The UN would become irrelevant if it didn't support war," threatened Bush, increasing the aggressive campaign at countries on the Security Council to stand with the US and the UK in legalizing the war. The UN did not back down, and Phyllis believes this stance was empowered by the massive demonstrations around the world of global public opinion against the war.
At a meeting in New York before one such rally, a delegation led by Bishop Desmond Tutu met with Kofi Annan. "Here are people marching around the world saying no to war. Speak in the name of those people in those cities in global peace," appealed Bishop Tutu. Something Phyllis would agree with in the call to "bring the UN back into the mobilization for peace." |
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