Post by ShivaTD on Sept 10, 2013 13:19:41 GMT
Syria has agreed to a Russian proposal to place it's chemical weapons under international control until they can be destroyed.
This all sounds well and good if the United Nations Security Council follows through on the recommendation by UN Secretary-General's proposal and if Syria actually submits it's chemical weapons to international control and destruction but there are numerous problems for me with it.
First and foremost is the statement by President Obama, that while accurate, reflects a direct violation of the United Nations Charter which prohibits the threat or use of force against a nation without express UN Security Council authorization. The United States was in violation of our treaty agreements as a member of the United Nations by threatening the use of military force against Syria.
Next is the fact that the United States has been a treaty member of the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1993 and we still have tens of thousands of tons of chemical weapons that were to be destroyed not later than 2012 under the UNODA treaty (actual treaty for the Chemical Weapons Conventions). We're condemning another nation for having chemical weapons while we're failing to meet our treaty agreements to destroy our own chemical weapons.
The United States needs to comply with our treaty agreements that include not threatening other nations with the use of force in compliance with the UN Charter and the US should submit all of our chemical weapons to international control so that they can be destroyed based upon our failure to fulfill our treaty agreements under the Chemical Weapons Conventions.
www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/cbw/cw.htm
MOSCOW (AP) — Syria says it has accepted Russia's proposal to place its chemical weapons under international control for subsequent dismantling.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Tuesday after meeting with Russian parliament speaker that his government quickly agreed to the Russian initiative to "derail the U.S. aggression."
Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia is now working with Syria to prepare a detailed plan of action, which will be presented shortly.
Lavrov said that Russia will then be ready to finalize the plan together with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
President Barack Obama said Monday the Russian proposal could be "potentially a significant breakthrough," but he remained skeptical that Syria would follow through.
news.yahoo.com/syria-says-accepted-russian-weapons-proposal-114743241.html
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Tuesday after meeting with Russian parliament speaker that his government quickly agreed to the Russian initiative to "derail the U.S. aggression."
Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia is now working with Syria to prepare a detailed plan of action, which will be presented shortly.
Lavrov said that Russia will then be ready to finalize the plan together with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
President Barack Obama said Monday the Russian proposal could be "potentially a significant breakthrough," but he remained skeptical that Syria would follow through.
news.yahoo.com/syria-says-accepted-russian-weapons-proposal-114743241.html
The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü, has noted the proposal to place the Syrian stockpile of chemical weapons under international control and the reactions it has evoked.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon, has stated that he is considering urging the Security Council to demand the immediate transfer of Syria’s chemical weapons stocks to places inside Syria where they can be safely stored and destroyed, and has again urged that Syria should join the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The OPCW is the implementing authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the development, production, stockpiling and use of these weapons. It obliges all States Parties to the treaty to declare and to destroy whatever chemical weapons they may possess under the international verification of the OPCW.
The Director-General recalled that the Convention was based on zero tolerance for chemical weapons. The OPCW is committed to promoting the universality of this norm and stands ready to support international efforts that would strengthen it.
www.opcw.org/news/article/statement-by-the-opcw-director-general-on-syria-proposal/
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon, has stated that he is considering urging the Security Council to demand the immediate transfer of Syria’s chemical weapons stocks to places inside Syria where they can be safely stored and destroyed, and has again urged that Syria should join the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The OPCW is the implementing authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the development, production, stockpiling and use of these weapons. It obliges all States Parties to the treaty to declare and to destroy whatever chemical weapons they may possess under the international verification of the OPCW.
The Director-General recalled that the Convention was based on zero tolerance for chemical weapons. The OPCW is committed to promoting the universality of this norm and stands ready to support international efforts that would strengthen it.
www.opcw.org/news/article/statement-by-the-opcw-director-general-on-syria-proposal/
Obama cast Russia's proposal as a direct result of the pressure being felt by Syria because of the threat of a U.S. strike and warned that he would not allow the idea to be used as a stalling tactic.
"I don't think that we would have gotten to this point unless we had maintained a credible possibility of a military strike, and I don't think now is the time for us to let up on that," he said.
ca.news.yahoo.com/us-says-consider-proposal-syria-surrender-chemical-weapons-174248223.html
"I don't think that we would have gotten to this point unless we had maintained a credible possibility of a military strike, and I don't think now is the time for us to let up on that," he said.
ca.news.yahoo.com/us-says-consider-proposal-syria-surrender-chemical-weapons-174248223.html
First and foremost is the statement by President Obama, that while accurate, reflects a direct violation of the United Nations Charter which prohibits the threat or use of force against a nation without express UN Security Council authorization. The United States was in violation of our treaty agreements as a member of the United Nations by threatening the use of military force against Syria.
Next is the fact that the United States has been a treaty member of the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1993 and we still have tens of thousands of tons of chemical weapons that were to be destroyed not later than 2012 under the UNODA treaty (actual treaty for the Chemical Weapons Conventions). We're condemning another nation for having chemical weapons while we're failing to meet our treaty agreements to destroy our own chemical weapons.
The United States needs to comply with our treaty agreements that include not threatening other nations with the use of force in compliance with the UN Charter and the US should submit all of our chemical weapons to international control so that they can be destroyed based upon our failure to fulfill our treaty agreements under the Chemical Weapons Conventions.
www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/cbw/cw.htm