There were heartening echoes of the words and thoughts of several of our most distinguished presidents in President Obama's Inaugural address today. One I found most interesting was Obama's reference to "earlier generations" of Americans who faced down fascism and communism "not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions." Obama added: "They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please."
This last remark is similar to the statement which President Harry Truman made on the occasion of his speech concluding the 1945 San Francisco Conference which had just drafted the UN Charter. There Truman said: "We all have to recognize -- no matter how great our strength -- that we must deny ourselves the license to do always as we please."
Truman was speaking about the lessons of world war 2; Obama was making reference to America's unilateral invasion of Iraq. Imagine Obama's immediate predecessor even uttering such words. What a dramatic change: Obama is renewing the great internationalist traditions of Wilson, FDR, Truman, JFK and Clinton for our own time.
Given that when politicians stumble, they always seem to fall to the right -- I'll be watching warily.
Kofi Annan -thur sept 16,2004, I have indicated it, the U.S. invasion of Iraq was not in conformity with the U.N. charter, from our point of view and from the charter point of view it was illegal.
Benjamin Ferencz, former chief prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials, Regarding Iraq, the last security council resolution essentially said " look, send the weapons inspectors out to Iraq, have them come back and tell us what they've found-then we'll figure out what were going to do.The U.S. was impatient,and decided to invade Iraq- which was all pre-arranged of course. So, the U.S.. went to war, in violation of the charter"
International law expert Mark Littman, The treatened war against Iraq will be a breach of the U.N. charter and hence of international law unless it is authorized by a new and unambiguous resolution of the security council. the charter is clear, no such war is permitted unless it is in self- defence or authorized by the security council.--------
Imagine, indeed, President Bush uttering those wholly unnecessary words. Bush, and the UN, gave Saddam multiple opportunities to cease his behavior, to unconditionally open Iraq to examinations, and generally sought peaceful conclusion. You folks need to refresh your memories.
Further, a coalition of nations does not qualify for the word unilateral. Perhaps you should all return to your high school English class and open a dictionary, for once.
Semper fi
Semper fi
- George Washington