Posted on 09/12/2002 1:14:05 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
The United States should not go it alone in the war on terrorism, said U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in his speech before the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday.
"Terrorism can be defeated only if all nations unite against it," Annan said.
Calling himself a staunch "multilateralist," Annan said every government committed to the rule of law at home must be committed to the rule of law abroad. It was clear he was addressing the United States, although he did not do so by name.
"Even the most powerful countries know that they need to work with others, in multilateralist institutions, to achieve their aims," Annan said.
"Only by multilateral action can we ensure that open markets offer benefits and opportunities to all; only by multilateral action can we give people in the least developed nations the chance to escape the ugly misery of poverty, ignorance, and disease; only by multilateral action can we protect ourselves from acid rain or global warming..."
Rejecting the multilateral path must not be a matter of political convenience, Annan warned. It has far-reaching consequences, he said, especially in the eyes of the world.
"The more a country makes use of multilateral institutions, thereby respecting shared values and accepting the obligations and restraints inherent in those values, the more others will trust and respect it and the stronger its chance to exercise true leadership."
He said the UN has a special place among multilateral institutions, because it can bestow legitimacy on the actions of member states.
Any state attacked has an inherent right to self-defense, Annan said. But beyond that, when states decided to use force against broader threats, "There is no substitute for the unique legitimacy provided by the United Nations.
"Member states attach importance - great importance, in fact - to such legitimacy and to the international rule of law," he added.
Iraq
Annan told the U.N. General Assembly the leadership of Iraq continues to defy mandatory resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, with regard to weapons inspections.
He appealed to all those who have influence with Iraq's leaders to impress upon them "the vital importance of accepting weapons inspections.
"This is an indispensable fair step towards assuring the world that all Iraq's weapons of mass destruction have indeed been eliminated, Annan said.
"I urge Iraq to comply with its obligations [U.N. Security Council resolutions] for the sake of its own people, and for the sake of world order. If Iraq's defiance continues, the [Security] Council must face its responsibilities."
In his speech, Annan identified four current threats to world peace: In addition to Iraq, he mentioned the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Afghanistan; and India-Pakistan.
In the next three weeks, Annan will either prove that he is a muddle-headed, over-paid mouthpiece for a useless organization, or not. I'm betting on "or not," based on his track record to date.
In three weeks our CenCom will be in Qatar. (That is why Hussein just threatened to "destroy" Qatar. But to get to Qatar, Huussein has to go through both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Is the House of Saud getting nervous? But I digress.) Our tanks and heavy armor are already on their way by ship. If we bring them off the boats with their motors running, they can turn north immediately. Almost certainly, they will offload in Kuwait.
The political attack on Li'l Tommy Daschle will take place in three weeks. Daschle will be unable to postpone the vote "until after the election." Then the attack on Huussein can begin in earnest -- though the 100-plane air raid on 6 September constituted the opening shots in this war.
The New York Times as usual, missed the start of the war. But FreeRepublic had the story.
Congressman Billybob
Click for major article on turnover in the House of Representatives: "Til Death Do Us Part."
Click for latest column: "The Star-Spangled Banner, Part II, & More Lies from the Media"
The U.N. Security Council responded to the worsening crisis by voting unanimously to abandon Rwanda.
Clinton embraced multilateralism.
Bush says,
Kofi Annon, "multilateralist"?? So why don't we air drop Annon onto the tip of Mount Everest in nothing but his powder-blue UN-issued briefs?? "Go anywhere you want then Kofi, in any direction you'd like..."
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