of bombing that began overnight on Wednesday.
The military strikes – which came at night – followed a roughly 14-
month period during which Baghdad officials periodically said they would no
longer cooperate with the weapons inspectors. During that time, Baghdad
also repeatedly demanded that crippling international sanctions, imposed
after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait prior to the Gulf War, be lifted. The most
recent escalation in the ongoing weapons standoff came in early November.
At that time, Western powers threatened military strikes against Iraq. The
threat was removed on November 14, when Baghdad agreed to cooperate fully
with the weapons inspectors. But, US and British officials warned Baghdad
that future airstrikes could come without warning should Iraqi leadership
again refuse to cooperate with UNSCOM. To back up their threat, Western
powers left in place the military might they had positioned in the Persian
Gulf, within striking distance of Iraq. It was that military weaponry that
was used on Thursday to conduct the strikes against Iraq. A stray missile
from the allied attack on Iraq crashed into a southwestern Iranian border
city Khorramshahr causing no casualties but prompting a strong diplomatic
protest from Tehran.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry Shelton said the
sites hit during the first bombing wave included weapons of mass
destruction and barracks belonging to the Iraqi Republican Guard. US and
British officials have said they will continue bombing Baghdad until they
have achieved their goal which is not to destabilize the regime but to
decrease his capacity to threaten his neighbours.
World community’s response was not unanimous. Many Russian politicians
expressed their negative attitude to the bombing. Boris Yeltzin met with
Evgeni Primakov, Russian Prime-minister, Nikolai Bordyuzha, Security
Council secretary and Anatoly Kvashnin, General Staff commander where he
claimed that Russia would demand conducting the UN Security Council summit
to consider the situation in Iraq. Egor Stroyev, Federation Council
chairman said that the US and British bombardment of Iraq is a strike not
on Iraq but on public opinion and above all on UNO. Russian Foreign
Minister Igor Ivanov expressed his point of view saying that military
action ceasing would allow to renew the political process of Iraqi
settlement. Moreover, he said that the report was made at the time when
Iraqi leaders approved of their readiness to collaborate with UNSCOM.
Russian Ambassador Yuli Vorontsov will return to Moscow for
“consultations”.
The only country that fully backed American and British bombing of
Iraq was Japan. Keidzo Obutti, the Prime Minister of this country has
already received acknowledgement from the US president. According to his
opinion Iraq didn’t fully cooperate with UN officials. Japan that is
connected with the USA by economic and military union as well as strategic
partnership always supports everything US does.
Tony Blair, the British prime minister is expected to be backed by the
majority of deputies to the House of Commons. He said the attack, named
Operation Desert Fox, was necessary because Hussein never intended to abide
by his pledge to give unconditional access to UN inspectors trying to
determine if Iraq has dismantled its biological, chemical and nuclear
weapons programs. From morning some protesters-natives from Arab countries
– Syria, Pakistan and Iraq – held demonstrations in Trafalgar Square and
near prime minister’s residence situated in Downing street, 10. British
people also fully agree with their government decision. Russian position is
discussed by mass media. Moscow is said to have too little assets to
seriously affect the situation. Today “Times” wrote: “Washington made it
clear that the arguments of the country whose economic situation fully
depends on financial assistance of Western countries won’t stop him.
Paris is reserved in its comments connected with the Iraqi bombing.
France always adhered to diplomatic crisis regulation.
NATO Ministers of Defense have gathered in Brussels to discuss their
position regarding the situation in the Persian Gulf. Nobody have expressed
their wish to participate in military actions.
The UN Security Council held a special debate Wednesday evening on the
military action. Diplomats said the meeting of the 15-nation council would
enable members to voice their views on the crisis, but no council action
was expected in the form of a resolution or other decision. UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan expressed regret the standoff had not been resolved
diplomatically. Richard Butler, UNSCOM chairman, ordered UNSCOM staff out
of Baghdad. The entire staff was evacuated before dawn on Wednesday.
Iraqi officials said at least 25 people had died and 75 were wounded
in the Iraqi capital alone during two days of airstrikes.
CONCLUSION
The UNO, established to replace the existing League of Nations, faces
very difficult situation in connection with Iraqi bombardment. The
beginning of effective Iraqi resistance came with a rapidity which
surprised us all, and we were perhaps psychologically unprepared for the
sudden transition from peacemaking to fighting. Some say that Clinton
wanted to delay the floor debate and vote on whether he should be
impeached over his actions stemming from an affair with former White House
intern Monica Lewinski. Some questioned America's moral right to bomb Iraq,
while others demanded that this time the US do the job properly and get rid
of Saddam Hussein.
But by doing so the USA and Britain have violated the UN Charter
according to which: "All Members shall refrain in their international
relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity
or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent
with the Purposes of the United Nations." [ ]
Many political leaders doubt the necessity to preserve the UNO as
there were drastic actions made by it. I think that the main reason for it
is that the USA is the main financial source of the UNO and the latter in
its turn is not willing to lose it.
In some way, my work can be continued as the events that happen in the
world change the situation greatly. The future will show whether the UNO
will be preserved or whether it’ll lose its unique character.
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1. Basic Facts about the UN. Sales No E.95.1.31;
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1998;
4. Documents of the United Nations Department of Public Information;
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Bratislava: Publishing House of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, 1970;
6. Inside UNSCOM: The Inspector. Transcript of interview with Charles
Duelfer, Deputy Chairman of the UN Special Commission to Iraq.;
7. Iraq Bars UN Inspection Teams From Searching For Weapons. Copyright
1998. The Associated Press.;
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15. The UN Charter;
16. The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: Field Enterprises, Inc.
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Appendix A
CHARTER OF THE UN
PREAMBLE
WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in
our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and
worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of
nations large and small, and
to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the
obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law
can be maintained, and
to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger
freedom,
AND FOR THESE ENDS
to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as
good neighbours, and
to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security,
and
to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of
methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest,
and
to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic
and social advancement of all peoples,
HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS
