[lit-ideas] Re: Ought we to do something about Iran?
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 10:06:32 -0800
I began a response to Teemu mentioning that I agreed with his note except
for a few minor quibbles, but then deleted those quibbles as possibly
detracting from his note; which I didn't want to do, and then you bring up
one of them.
Well, sure, it's a shame the SC doesn't work any more. When it was begun it
consisted of the victorious allies - their military force was considered
adequate to enforce UN decisions, but time has passed and the allies'
military force has been radically rearranged. Also, France decided under De
Gaul that Europe with France at its head should counter the U.S.
economically and militarily. They were declaring the U.S. their de facto
enemy. While the U.S. didn't take this too seriously, the French opposition
to a war the U.S. deemed part of a campaign vital to its defense was deemed
intolerable.
The Russians too were not above thwarting the wishes of its old enemy.
So yes, the SC was damaged, but was it damaged by the U.S., by France and
Russia, or by time and events. I think it is too soon to tell.
Complicating a quick conclusion is the fact that France and Russia were
benefiting from the Oil for Food program in major ways - not all of them
public. This has led some to suspect that important people in France and
Russia had vested interests in Saddam's survival regardless of the
impediment he presented in America's War against Terror.
Given the damage, can the SC survive? That remains to be seen. If France
continues to seek to "provide a counter" to the U.S., perhaps not. However,
the SC survived the Cold War during which the USSR & the US rarely voted the
same way; so perhaps it can survive this too.
Lawrence
-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Judith Evans
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 9:31 AM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Ought we to do something about Iran?
--- Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Teemu,
>
>
>
> Excellent note!
>
Teemu> After cold war and Gulf part I,
> there
>
> was a de facto recognition that no wars of conquest
>
> would be fought without SC blessing. The Iraq
>
> invasion, justified or not, changed this, and this
>
> will hurt non-proliferation efforts.
So you agree with this?
(Teemu, I am concerned about Iran, now, too.)
Judy Evans, Cardiff
___________________________________________________________
To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo!
Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
