UN Security Council Must Take Military Action Against Islamic State
President Obama’s continuing refusal to co-sponsor a Security Council Resolution with Russia authorising the use of military force against Islamic State ensures that the horrendous murders in Orlando and Manganville this past week will be repeated with ever-increasing frequency anywhere and at any time…writes David Singer.Speaking after a meeting with his National Security Council following the Orlando massacres President Obama stated:
“As we know all too well, terrorist groups like ISIL have called on people around the world and here in the United States to attack innocent civilians. Their propaganda, their videos, their postings are pervasive and more easily accessible than we want.
This individual appears to have absorbed some of that, and during his killing spree, the shooter in Orlando pledged allegiance to ISIL.
As I’ve said before, these lone actors or small cells of terrorists are very hard to detect and very hard to prevent.
But across our government at every level — federal, state and local, military and civilian — we are doing everything in our power to stop these kinds of attacks.”
President Obama was in complete denial so far as his Presidential options were concerned.
Despite a raft of resolutions passed by the Security Council under article 41 of the UN Charter requiring member States to take a melange of actions against Islamic State – a resolution calling for the use of military action by the United Nations under Article 42 of the UN Charter remains stymied because of America’s opposition to taking such action proposed by Russia.
Article 42 is quite clear in its terms:
“Should the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article 41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take such action by air, sea, or land forces as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security. Such action may include demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea, or land forces of Members of the United Nations.”
Passing such a resolution would oblige all 193 member States to comply with Article 43(1):
“All Members of the United Nations, in order to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, undertake to make available to the Security Council, on its call and in accordance with a special agreement or agreements, armed forces, assistance, and facilities, including rights of passage, necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued this warning on 18 November last:
“The Security Council needs to give preferential attention to the task of creating a solid legal foundation for the fight against this evil [Islamic State] and for the mobilization of an actual global coalition in response to this common uncompromising challenge for us all”.
President Obama preached a similar mantra in St Petersburg on 6 September 2013:
“And I respect those who are concerned about setting precedents of action outside of a U.N. Security Council resolution. I would greatly prefer working through multilateral channels and through the United Nations to get this done.”
Independent and uncoordinated military actions to wipe out Islamic State taken by Russian-led and American-led coalitions have only had limited success.
A minority of UN member States are shouldering the burden of inflicting total defeat – whilst the rest just make pious condemnatory declarations and avert their gaze.
Islamic State’s radicalising of Moslem minds everywhere is endemic and growing and represents a world-wide problem demanding a world-wide response.
How many more San Bernardino and Orlando massacres will President Obama mourn and decry before he agrees to co-sponsor a Security Council resolution with Russia authorising military action against Islamic State?
David Singer is a Sydney Lawyer and Foundation Member of the International Analysts Network
Erica
Your research and conclusions are not too bad either.
There are two issues in Syria – Assad and Islamic State.
Obama’s refusal to join Russia in co-sponsoring a UN Security Council resolution to degrade and destroy Islamic State is driven by his resistance to do anything that might entrench Assad in power.
This has been a fatal error in Obama’s policy that is costing America dearly as the massacres in San Bernardino and Orlando demonstrate.
Will Obama wake up or will it be more of the same – not only in America but anywhere in the world.
We had a taste outside police HQ in Parramatta and Paris and Brussels are reeling.
Will Obama wait to approach the Security Council until someone with these deranged views gets hold of a nuclear weapon?
Thanks for the reply David. If Obama capitulates and his fears do play out and Assad is “entrenched” in power what difference will that make to the situation with ISIL?
Erica
Obama has dug himself a deep hole in opposing Assad for at least the last three years and is apparently not prepared to do anything – even wiping out Islamic State- that might end up entrenching Assad in power.
You might like to read the following article I wrote in September 2013 which provides some background to Obama’s pursuit of Assad – just one of many policy decisions that have haunted Obama’s time as President and brought untold suffering on the Syrian population.
http://www.jwire.com.au/syria-london-eleven-need-help-from-heaven-writes-david-singer/
Your research on this matter is thorough.
You are so on the mark with this hideous situation.
Obama is playing with fire and now his “colleagues ”
Are ganging up on him (according to NY Times today)
Russia and the US need to be on the map together – while there is
A willingness about Russia it should be recognized and utilized
Assad needs a talk about socialization – his “megalo-maniacal ” ways are
Dangerous and destructive
The Sunni population needs to be supported whilst
ISIL needs to be annihilated
How ironic – Syria will be looking down the barrel of a Two-State Solution before too long.