Attacking Syria is attacking the entire UN system
(Baonghean.vn) - The US's threat to use force in Syria undermines international law and the entire United Nations system. That is the statement of Bolivian Ambassador Sacha Llorenti, who called for the Security Council to meet on this issue.
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| The United Nations flag and the US flag hang in front of the United Nations headquarters. Photo: Reuters |
According to Mr. Llorenti, by threatening to take action against Damascus with or without the support of the United Nations, Washington is placing itself above all other countries, denying international law, the United Nations Charter and the entire United Nations system.
“The problem is that America believes and they act as if they are above any law. They believe they have their own rules and they are not,” the ambassador said.
On April 11, Llorenti, representing non-permanent member Bolivia, requested that the UN Security Council meet on April 12 to discuss “the escalation of rhetoric regarding Syria and these threats of unilateral military action.”
This comes after US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley threatened on April 9 that Washington could go it alone in Syria if it could not get approval at the UN due to what she called “obstruction” from Russia. “Whether approved or not, the US will respond,” Haley said.
Llorenti argued that while the UN Security Council was facing many problems of its own and needed reform, its top priority should be to “unite and create an independent mechanism to investigate suspected chemical weapons attacks.”
Even if countries cannot agree on a mechanism, this does not mean the US is free to do whatever it wants in Syria, Llorenti said, adding that at the moment “there is no convincing investigation into the chemical attack”.
“So whatever happens, if the United States acts unilaterally, it will violate international law and the UN system should of course not accept it,” Llorenti stressed, noting that a possible military strike “would not be an attack on Syria, but an attack on the entire UN system.”
Llorenti echoed earlier statements by Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia, who said that by threatening Syria, the United States had violated the UN Charter, which prohibits threats to international peace and security. The Russian ambassador also said that the UN's "immediate priority" must be to find a way to avoid a war.
