Instead of talking the language of negotiation and focusing on implementing the frameworks of agreements in North Korea, Iraq, Iran and Israel-Palestine, the US government has opted for politics of confrontation and has demanded “regime change”. On both the diplomatic and military fronts, the Bush administration has crouched its newly aggressive unilateralism and disregard for International Laws and cooperation in the apocalyptic, good vs. evil language long favoured by the political right.
U.S foreign policy has threatened to turn back the objectives of the creation of the United Nations and other multilateral structures. Today, U.S has assaulted the framework of multilateralism, international rule of laws, and international cooperation, with its aggressive unilateralism and rampant exceptionalisms. The US government is chipping away at the entire framework of multilateralism.
The US insistence on the right to attack unilaterally has effectively undermined the principle of collective security and the authority of the United Nations and this could encourage international anarchy. Such insistence creates a very dangerous precedent to the world. Following the US example, Russia could claim the right to attack Israel, France could claim the right to attack Turkey, and Great Britain could claim the right to attack Morroco, simply because these governments, like Iraq, are in violation of United Nation Security Council resolutions.
As it is becoming apparent in Afghanistan, throwing a government out is easier than putting a new one together. Iraq, without a strong central government, could disintegrate into Shia Arab, Sunni Arab and Kurdish ministates. This can be observed during the recent election where the election day was no more a safe and sound day for the citizens to cast their vote.
One of the important roles of the United Nations is to monitor and warn effectively misbehaving country which jeopardizes international order. In the case of Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD), the best way to stop the potential of Iraq or others developing WMD would be through allowing United Nations Inspectors to investigate first hand whether they are actually in possession of WMD and their delivery system, and – if so – to dismantle them. In the case of Iraq, Saddam agreed in September 2002 to allow the inspectors to return with unfettered access, yet the Bush administration had declared it intention to invade Iraq anyway.
The United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq in 1990 applied only to the enforcement of previous resolution calling for an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait, nothing more. Iraq remains in violation of some subsequent resolutions, but the United Nations has not authorized the use of force to enforce them. Without the explicit authorization of the United Nations Security Council, a war against Iraq would be illegal.
One of the most important turning points in the recent human history was the visionary creation of the United Nations and other multilateral structures in the aftermath of World War II. Such vision, designed to equip the ability in managing international affairs that brought nation together within a system of international rules and norms, in which the voices of all actions and people could be heard and respected.
Bush administration’s policy and vigor towards assertive action on the part of the United Nations inspection in Iraq was a double standard. From another angle, the positive impact on U.S’ ability to push the United Nations is important as if President Bush simultaneously supported a robust United Nations role in Kashmir, Sudan, Columbia, Israel-Palestine and other hotspots. As a matter of fact, this is a proper way to actuate U.S rhetoric and work to establish genuine democratic government in every nation. This is a prerequisite for an empowered international governance system to have legitimate mandate.
The Bush administration’s distrust of treaties and multilateral organizations like United Nations has soured U.S relations with European Union and other allies. The majority of U.S foreign policy decisions have been completely unilateral. Under Bush’s leadership, the U.S has not complied with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), withdrawal from the ABM treaty, scuttled effort to create verification protocol for Biological Weapons Convention and Torture Convention, imposed limits on the chemical weapons convention, walked away from the Kyoto climate change treaty, and unsigned the International Criminal Court treaty.
What need to be done now is simply to go back to the basic rules. Let’s empower the noble objectives of the creation of the United Nations through reviving the collective security measures. The spirit of non interference in internal affairs of states must be respected and observed, no country is allowed to interfere in the o internal affairs of other states prior to endorsement of the United Nations. Is it too idealistic and rhetoric? Well, it could happen if we, the statesmen, sovereign states and international community took the lead and courage to prevent international anarchy.