Relevance–or rather its opposite, irrelevance–seems to be one of the many mantras of the Bush administration with respect to the United Nations.
Irrelevance and Credibility: The Bush Administration, the United Nations, and NATO
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Commentaries
The Bush Administration’s Attacks on the United Nations
One would have to go to the annual convention of the John Birch Society to find as many invectives directed against the United Nations as have been spewed out in recent weeks by the Bush administration and its supporters in Congress and in the media. With the United States on the verge of launching an invasion of Iraq without approval of the United Nations Security Council, a concerted effort is underway, taking advantage of the lack of knowledge most Americans have of the United Nations’ structures and procedures, to discredit the world body in the eyes of public opinion. This could prove pivotal, because currently a majority of Americans oppose an invasion of Iraq unless the UN Security Council authorizes the use of force. Below are the main arguments of the Bush administration and its supporters in delegitimizing the authority of the United Nations, followed by rebuttals.
Pentagon Trumps the Poor in the Bush Administration’s Foreign Aid Proposals
Reading the headlines about the new foreign aid budget–“Bush proposes huge increase in foreign aid” (AFP), “Bush Seeks Funds to Fight AIDS Globally” (AP)–one would think that the Bush administration had developed a new commitment to helping the world’s poor and marginalized communities. But a closer look at the numbers shows quite a different story. Though the proposed foreign aid budget is $2.4 billion more than last year’s request, one-third of the total is not going to build new roads or schools, but to supply foreign militaries with U.S. arms and training. Even the sections of this budget designated as non-military aid are heavily targeted to critical states in the war on terrorism, reflecting the dominance of national security priorities over the foreign aid budget.
The U.S. and the UN: Risking Relevance
President Bush is determined to attack Iraq. It is also clear that if he cannot convince, he will bully the international community into compliance with his wishes. First Bush and now Powell have threatened that UN Security Council by stating that “it risks irrelevance” if it fails to join with the United States.
Osama Bin Laden’s Message to the Arab and Muslim World: “I am not the enemy. America is.”
Score another public diplomacy point for Osama bin Laden in his war with the United States to win the hearts and minds of the Arab and Muslim world. At a time when the Bush administration seems determined to attack Iraq, the cradle of Arab civilization and home of the early Muslim Abbassid dynasty, bin Laden has come up with a message of hope and inspiration as well as tactical advice.
Mr. Powell, You’re No Adlai Stevenson
Pundits are comparing Secretary of State Colin Powell’s speech at the United Nations to the dramatic presentation in 1962 by U.S. ambassador Adlai Stevenson before the same body. There, the former Illinois governor showed the world incontrovertible proof of Soviet efforts to place nuclear missiles in Cuba. Though not everyone agreed with the Kennedy administration’s quarantine and brinksmanship, there was no dispute that the American allegations against the Soviets were valid and the threat was real.
Protecting Agriculture: “Zero-Tolerance” on Farm Subsidies
Protecting Agriculture: “Zero-Tolerance” on Farm Subsidies By Devinder Sharma February 5, 2003
Powell’s Dubious Case for War
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s presentation to the UN Security Council on February 5 wasn’t likely to win over anyone not already on his side. He ignored the crucial fact that in the past several days (in Sunday’s New York Times and in his February 4th briefing of UN journalists) Hans Blix denied key components of Powell’s claims.
Powell at the UN: Another Step Forward on the Road to Baghdad
Powell at the UN: Another Step Forward on the Road to Baghdad By Ian Williams February 5, 2003 Editor : John Gershman, Interhemispheric Resource Center ( IRC )
Iran: the Next Target?
President Bush’s State of the Union address comes as near to a declaration of war on Iraq as is possible without the guns beginning to fire. It rehearsed all of the reasons for an attack relating to Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, made no mention of oil, and made it clear that the U.S. was prepared to go to war with minimal international support if need be.