On
Syria, UN's
Ban Offers No
Caution on an
Obama Bombing,
from Seoul
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 26 --
Amid an
increasing
drumbeat of
media coverage
predicting US
missile
strikes on
Syria,
regardless of
what the UN
chemical
weapons
investigation
team finds in
the suburbs of
Damascus, a question
has
arisen
whether the
strikes would
take place
with the UN
team still in
the country.
In a
six-question
Seoul press
conference on
August 26,
beyond three
questions
about North
Korea and two
about Japan
and China, UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon was
asked on Syria
to comment on
"a possible
strike,
President
Obama is
apparently
mulling that
over."
But tellingly,
Ban did not
offer any real
caution
against doing
that -- even
with UN staff
and
investigators
still "on the
ground" there.
From the UN's
transcript:
Q: In
regards to
Syria, Britain
and the US
officials have
suggested that
an
investigation
at this point
might be
without result
because
Damascus has
had time to
cover up some
of the
evidence. What
does the UN
hope to find
from this
investigation?
What actions
would the UN
be willing to
take? The US
Navy has
repositions
itself in the
Mediterranean
Sea for a
possible
strike.
President
Obama is
apparently
mulling that
over. Could
you comment on
that as well?
SG: As
you know the
United Nations
inspection
team was on
the ground in
Damascus even
before this
most recent
attack which
happened on 21
August. After
a very
in-depth and
intense
negotiation
with the
Syrian
Government, we
have reached a
joint
understanding
which was
announced
yesterday that
inspection
will begin
from today, in
just a few
hours later in
Syrian time.
On the sites,
we have been
asking them to
provide
unfettered
access to all
the suspicious
sites. And our
team led by
Dr. [Åke]
Sellström will
begin
investigations
to gather all
evidence and
samples and
analyses of
this
situation.
This
is our firm
position:
There should
be an
unfettered,
unconditional
access
provided by
the Syrian
Government. At
the same time,
it is
important that
the opposition
forces should
also provide
and assure the
safety and
security of
our inspection
team because
this
inspection
team will have
to conduct
their
activities in
the opposition
force-controlled
area. It is
important that
both sides
immediately
cease military
activities so
that the
inspection
team will
safely conduct
this
investigation.
Whatever
differences
there may be,
it is
important that
all the
differences of
opinions
should be
resolved
peacefully
through
dialogue. That
is our firm
position since
the beginning
of the crisis.
As I told you
any attack by
weapons of
mass
destruction
like chemical
weapons is a
serious crime
against
humanity. The
United Nations
is very much
committed, and
I have
instructed the
inspection
team to have a
speedy,
independent
and full
investigation
and report to
me as soon as
possible.
Ban's
office put out
a statement on
Sunday noting
that "the
Government of
the Syrian
Arab Republic
affirmed that
it will
provide the
necessary
cooperation,
including the
observance of
the cessation
of hostilities
at the
locations
related to the
incident."
But
did Ban ask
the Obama
administration
not to fire
missiles, at
least at this
time? Will
he?
Also,
the UN's
Office for the
Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs has
been putting
out maps of
where UN
agencies and
international
non-governmental
organizations
have a
presence
inside Syria.
Will they be
informed or
avoided? Or
was that the purpose
of the maps?
On US
Sunday morning
talk shows,
CBS' Margaret
Brennan noted
that Jeffrey
Feltman, now
Ban's
political
chief but
until recently
the US State
Department's
face in the
Middle East,
will be
heading to
Iran after his
quiet, some
say craven,
trip to Egypt.
She implied
Feltman could
carry a
message from
the Obama
administration,
or about the
threatened
strikes, to
Tehran. But is
that the UN's
role?
(How Feltman's
post-Egypt
itinerary,
including
Doha, was
announced not
by the UN but
to for example
the FARS News
Agency, State
Department
press and
columnists
remains a
question,
which will be
pursued by the
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access.)
Those
who fetishize
international
law point out
that the
exception to
needing UN
Security
Council
approval for
the use of
force is
Article 51 of
the UN Charter,
which concerns
SELF-defense.
Could a US
missile strike
be construed
as that?
As to
the UN, will
Ban Ki-moon be
seeking to
speak for
international
law, or only
to be seen as
"in the loop"
before a
strike takes
place? Watch
this site.
Update
of August 26,
3:10 am :
Turkey says it
would join
coalition on
Syria without
UN Security
Council
approval --
that "Turkish
Lounge" in
front of UNSC
notwithstanding.
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