West suffers historic defeat at UN
Britain’s diplomatic strategy in Zimbabwe collapsed last night in an historic defeat for the West in the UN Security Council that will have repercussions across Africa and beyond.
Russia and China wielded their veto to kill a resolution imposing UN sanctions on President Mugabe and his inner circle in a defining vote in the 15-nation council.
Sir John Sawers, the British Ambassador to the UN, said: “The people of Zimbabwe need to be given hope that there is an end in sight to their suffering. The Security Council today has failed to offer them that hope.”
Russia declared that it was casting its veto to prevent the council, under the influence of Western members, from meddling in the internal affairs of a UN member state.
“We have seen an effort to take the council beyond its charter prerogative,” Vitaly Churkin, the Russian Ambassador to the UN, declared. “We believe such practices to be illegitimate and dangerous, leading to a realignment of the UN system. This draft is nothing but the council’s attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of a member state.”
China, which supplies arms to Harare, said that the Zimbabwe crisis did not constitute a threat to international peace and security, over which the council had jurisdiction.
“Internationally, to use or threaten to use sanctions lightly is not conducive to solving a problem,” Wang Guangya, the Chinese Ambassador to the UN, said.
Britain and the United States forced the draft resolution to a vote because they counted on the support of the nine members needed to secure adoption. In a dramatic show of hands, the draft did indeed earn the requisite nine votes to pass, with five against, but was not adopted because of Russia’s and China’s block. South Africa, Vietnam and Libya also voted against, while Indonesia abstained.
The showdown heralds a chilling of international relations as Russia and China resist growing UN intervention in other repressive regimes, such as Burma, and it represents a shift in the balance of power at the top table of diplomacy. Russia, China and developing nations are flexing their muscles after Western dominance since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“China and Russia have stood with Mugabe against the people of Zimbabwe,” Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Ambassador, told the council. “This resolution would have supported the courageous efforts of the Zimbabwean people to change their lives peacefully through elections.”
The statements by Britain and the US reflected their anger days after President Medvedev of Russia agreed a tough statement at the G8 summit in Japan threatening sanctions against Zimbabwe. Sir John read out the G8 statement promising further steps, including “financial and other measures against those individuals responsible for the violence.” He described the Russian action as irresponsible.
Mr Khalilzad went further, calling the Russian veto a “U-turn” and suggesting that it raised questions about Russia’s “reliability as a G8 partner”, hinting that it might be ejected from the elite club of leading industrial nations.
The UN resolution would have imposed an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and clamped a worldwide asset freeze and travel ban on Mr Mugabe and 13 of his henchmen accused of orchestrating election abuses in the June 27 presidential run-off vote.
You are right there shril.. down the line its the poor people who suffers for all these pranks ..
Sanctions are aimed at Mugabe, not the country .. so the people would suffer no more than they are already. Yes the Zimbabweans could/should revolt but how??? They have no access to anything and the Zimbabwean army is one of the largest and best eqipped in the Southern African reigon and has the backing of China ...
agree with u on veto, brit. Veto makes it quite an unequal platform.
Tigasin, at least u can b happy that there is one less place in the world abt which the US wud b blamed... :-p
On a more serious note, If Mugabe is the problem, how wud imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe solve the issue?? That wud only affect the public, not the tyrant. Sanctions wud only increase his hold on power. n wenever US or for that matter any other country has intervened(military) , civilian casualties have only skyrocketed.
and, dont the Zimbabweans hav a responsibility to revolt against a tyrant. I mean , its never easy but they are the highest stakeholders.
guess the best solution wud be the one that was tried against a man in Cuba with 680+ lives. A HIT squad.
Shoo, what a mess the world is in ... Zim is in a mess because Zim put itself in a mess ... theoretically it should pull itself out. As for interest in Zim it is very rich in agriculture and minerals ... so it does have stuff to offer. Whatever though, I just get tired of the politicking that goes on all the time and the constant ineffective meddling! The US has made some mistakes ... so has everyone
advantage to a select few..
If the UN is to function properly, then there needs to be a democratic process and one vote per nation.
Does anyone here believe that the Saud royal family is any different from the Taliban? Yet they have very good relations with the US DESPITE serious human rights and democracy issues. They even financially backed the Taliban and supported their accession to power with the knowledge and support of the US gov. As a matter of fact (not aired on CNN), representatives of Haliburton and the Carlyle Group led by none other than the current president Hamid Karzai, who was an employee for the group at the time , were in Kabul for negotiations on gas pipeline deals LONG before 911. Only problem was, the Taliban refused. That's the whole difference between Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. The world is much more complicated than we are led to believe my dear Tigasin.
The UN is about as much use as an underwater hairdrier. Resolutions, statements, vetoes, sending "peacekeeping" troops to all corners of the world and then tying their hands so that they can't even protect themselves properly.
At the end of the day, Mugabe is just another tyrant trying to hold on to power, and despite their claim to be a democratic nation, Russia is still an autocracy. As for China? Why would they want to sour their arms deal with Harare?
How much money is wasted every year on the upkeep of the UN, and that other failed experiment that they call the International Criminal Court?
Politics is a dirty game whichever side of the fence you are on, and at the end of the day it's always the poorest and the weakest who suffer most.
.
"I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places". - Henny Youngman
One good example is how CNN and the likes promote the Issue of Darfur and Zimbabwe and never talk about the humanatarian disaster created by US & its allies in Somalia.
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
Tigasin, I'm not trying to ridicule your position on Robert Mugabe. On the contrary, having heard a first hand report from a zimbabwean on the thread I think the position is right. What I'm questioning is the intentions of the US and co. in pursuing such a vote at the UN. It's usually a lot more complicated than you are willing to accept. Look into recent modern history that HASN't been aired on CNN & co. and then I'm sure you will view US foriegn policy more critically. And let's ask Shirl what financial interests do the UK and US have in Zimbabwe other than their hypocritical support of human rights and democracy.
I was very stupid. Well the US and Britain will I hope stay clear of Zimbabwe and allow the great benevolent democratic leader Robert Mugabe to carry on ruling with fairness while his people revel in the luxury of a vibrant economy and excess food supplies. Indeed, a great victory for democracy and sovereignty.
If Zimbabwe is in a mess it is entirely the fault of the US and Britain, those capitalist pariahs.
Just call me Tigasin. That's what I'm talking about
"Whenever The US and Britain interfere ...
in the internal affairs of a sovereign state to try and prevent tyrany, genocide and starvation they are criticized for pursuing their own interests and agendas". My dear Tigasil, that was my whole point. That is the meida coverage for all US and british foriegn policy interventions. You could have taken that from the lips of a CNN broadcaster. You assume that these governments are actually pursuing the upholding of human rights and the rights of minorities as they so successfully portray themselves in the media. But you really have to question that when those same governments act in total cantradictions to such noble values and hide it from the rest of the world. The simple fact is that the US an its stooges are ruled by one sole system: CAPITALISM. All means are justified in the pursuit of their own interests even if those means coincide with human rights issues. How could the US train, arm, support and assist a tyrannt and in some cases aiding him in accession to power and then years later turn on him and accuse him of human rights abuse? Is it the awakening of conscience? Pity Saddam Hussein isn't around anymore to answer these questions ;)
I loved the defeat of the imperialists, it was so good feeling for those who love freedom and Sovereignty
Poverty is not for the sake of hardship. No, it is there because nothing exists but God. Poverty unlocks the door -- what a blessed key!
- Jalaluddin al-Rumi
initially the americans and the british interfere stealthily, then once that action plan fails they go to town criticizing the governments that they dont like.
double standards everywhere.
they send mercenaries to do their dirty work and then claim credit if everything falls into place else they wash their hands off.
it is good that the attempt failed.
back to their countries and become neutral like the swiss !
That way, how can we be accused of anything.
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NIL ILLEGITIMI CARBORUNDUM
in the internal affairs of a sovereign state to try and prevent tyrany, genocide and starvation they are criticized for pursuing their own interests and agendas.
Zimbabwe does not have oil but it does have tyranny, poverty and the murder and suppression of opponents to the current regime. If we stand aside and allow Mugabe to carry on we are hypocrites, if we intervene, we are colonialists. We can't win. The question is, what is the right thing to do? Answer, no one really knows until long after the event.
Of course, Russia and China have no interests of their own to pursue in Zimbabwe and the wider African continent. The only bad guys are the US and the Brits.
Just call me Tigasin. That's what I'm talking about
You have my sympathy Shirl and I hope things get better in your country. I am glad we have a Zimbabwean here to verify what's happeining in her own country. I've given up relying on the mass media for unbiased information on anything. It is a fact that the US and its stooges manipulate the mass media to cover up their agendas win over public opinion SOMETIMES based on false information (e.g.Iraq invasion), but almost always pointing the finger at their prey for allegedly abusing human rights when they themselves have supported the most wicked tyrannts known to modern history (Islam Karimov, Saddam Hussein (paradoxically) to mention a few). Being half sudanese, I can confirm that the recent arrest warrant issued for the sudanese President is one such manipulation pointing a finger at him for committing "Genocide" whereas the problem is much more diverse than to be simplified into blaming the president for all the woes in Darfur. It would be interesting, although unimaginable, for the western media to portray US interests in the recent oil discoveries in Sudan which "coincide" with their attention to internal affairs in the country and the subsequent pressure on Sudan to allocate contracts to US oil firms instead of the chinese firms that have been preferred by the sudanese gov based on their competitive offers. As one kashmiri activist was told by a visiting congressman off the record after asking for US assistance in their political struggle for independance, "you got to discover oil first".
What caught my eyes was...
"...it raised questions about Russia’s “reliability as a G8 partner”, hinting that it (Russia) might be ejected from the elite club of leading industrial nations."
thanks for the sympathy ... unfortunately a resolution seems a long way comming and most zimbabweans believe that the country really needs to come to it's nose, never mind knees until something is done ... if there had been no aid etc this would have happened years ago so actually the west and south africa has aided and abeitted the misery ...ironic really. and although the zim situation does not affect world peace it certainly has a massive knock on effect to the neighbouring countries!! Anyway, zim is but a drop in the ocean compared to the rest of the world.
but the most important thing is: as long as this has happened against the will of the USA, then I am sure that it is in favor of world peace!
Well said mate!
I do not consider it a defeat to the West. Rather it is considered a democracy historic defeat. Unfortunately, Totalitarian regimes protect each other.
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Hashin .. UN is been a US spokesmen always. Ask bush he will have 1000 reasons for you. like chinese made chemical weapons, or if he cant specify would say ''weapons of mass distruction or something..lol
The real issue here is not whether Mugabe is a tyrant or not. The issue is, does a world body have the right to interfere in the internal matters of another nation unless it poses a risk to the world at large...
You took the words from the tip of my tounge... How many resolutions have the US vetoed... I think everybody has lost count...
Hi Shril.. its sad my dear , lets hope everything gets sorted.
They should have moved with a plan of putting preassure on great Mugabe to retire and go for a poll under the supervision of a UN body.
This is becoming a practice in Africa. Kenya just finished one rigged election and then power sharing mediated by Koffi annan.
You are the second zimbabwenian I know in QL :)
I'm really sorry for what's happening in your country shril. :(
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I love it when people take the bait on these threads from follow on posts. It is entertaining.
shirl - Obviously you can state better than anyone here on this matter.
Countries should solve their own problems!
I wish that the world would express the (same) sadnees every time the USA uses a veto to block any SC resolution against Israel!
this has nothing to do with colonialism ... that ended 30 years ago. It has to do with the powerful nations in the world looking out for their best interests - human nature?? The world is such at present that no country allows another to get on with it on their own ... so ... something should be done. I am a Zimbabawean and am tired of all the talk and no action. Hopes get raised only to be dashed again and again. but then again, who really cares what happens in a relatively small nation? and that really is the crux, Zim has nothing to offer these super powers...
conflict of interest.
The west should not be complaining. The fact that they allowed Russia and China to be part of the five countries with veto powers, then the two are just practicing their power.
Maybe on this subject, they didn't see eye-to-eye
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
direct result of colonialism.
Isn't this what everyone wants though? The West staying out of the affairs of other nations?
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has little or no connection to humanity, a sad day for all concerned..
Sad day indeed..Its politics above humanity..
It is a Sad Day for the World community that the Resolution did not go through. How many more People would die under the hands of Mugabe and his criminals.