Dear George:

OK, I give up. You win. You've been asking for months if the UN "is going to be a body that means what it says." And I have to admit it, you're right. UN Security Council resolutions should be enforced, whether the breaching parties like it or not. It's time to put some backbone in the UN!

And I'm relieved that we've finally reached some common ground in this debate, George. It was getting hairy. All I ask is that you grant me two basic and universally recognized points.

First, only the Security Council can authorize the use of force to effect its own resolutions. No amount of bluster can change that bald legal fact. By the way, George, make a note to contact Francis A. Boyle. You need a good international lawyer, bad. Whoever you've got now should go back to selling cars.

Second, old business always comes first. The only way to do this fairly and ensure that all UN resolutions are enforced and respected is to start at the beginning and work our way forward.

Let's start with 1948, when the UN was just taking off and international law still got some respect in Washington. The General Assembly overwhelmingly approved Resolution 194 with our support. It affirmed the existing legal right of Palestinian refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes and reclaim their property, with compensation for damages and losses. Israel has never complied with this resolution. It's time to enforce it.

Then there's Security Council Resolution 242, passed with US support in 1967. It demands Israel withdraw from the territories it occupied in the so-called Six Day War. Far from complying with this resolution, Israel has aggressively deepened its material breach in the Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights ever since. As everyone with a lick of common sense has already told you, George, this resolution should be enforced before you try to sell another war on Iraq.

I know the AIPAC-infested Congress has tried to make you recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. So far you've resisted - good job. Maybe you're aware of Security Council Resolutions 252, 267, and 298, all of which "urgently" demanded that Israel stop its annexation of Jerusalem. But the annexation of Jerusalem continues to expand today. Let's enforce those resolutions next. Hell, with this one we can kill three birds with one stone!

You like efficiency, right? Check this out: We can clear up least sixteen Security Council Resolutions just by making Israel obey the Fourth Geneva Convention. Specifically, it must abandon its settlements and cease its chronic deportation and transfer of Palestinians. Come to think of it, just enforcing Resolutions GA194 and SC242 (we talked about those above, George) would almost knock off the whole lot, as far as Israel is concerned. And Israel is in violation of more UN resolutions than any other nation on the planet.

But I wouldn't be square with you, George, if I didn't warn you up-front: We're also going to have to get in Turkey's face quite a bit before we're done. But you ought to be able to squeeze some leverage out of the $26 billion dollars you just stole from us to bribe them into joining your little war. And, as even you must have figured out by now, your war is just not going to fit on the agenda this year.

But don't despair, George. You've still won the argument. And you'll have my support when you ask the UN to start enforcing its resolutions in an orderly manner. So let's show some backbone, like you always say, and buckle down to business. "Gotta be tough!"

One last thought, George. You've been looking very troubled lately. Seems like every time I see you you're angry or impatient. I hope our newfound agreement will help calm your nerves, because you're going to bust a gasket if you don't cool it. Maybe you've forgotten how important it is to look on the positive side of things. Do you find inspirational phrases can help brighten your day, George? May I suggest one for you, in the spirit of our reconciliation? "This year in Jerusalem! Next year in Baghdad!"

 

Reference: United Nations Security Council Resolutions Currently Being Violated by Countries Other than Iraq, By Stephen Zunes, Foreign Policy in Focus, October 2, 2002 - http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2002/0210unres_body.html - http://www.fpif.org/pdf/gac/0210unres.pdf

 

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