Arab nations plan antiwar vote at U.N. (General Assembly vote on "Uniting for Peace")

CNN ^ | March 31, 2003 | Ronni Berke and Vivienne Foley

[HAL9000]

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Arab nations plan to go to the U.N. General Assembly to ask for a resolution condemning the U.S.-British-led coalition in Iraq and calling for troop withdrawal.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan met in New York Monday with ambassadors from Arab nations to brief them on Iraq and hear their concerns on the conflict, his spokesman said.

[HAL9000]

Related articles on using the General Assembly to bypass the Security Council in FR Archives:

Keyword: Uniting for Peace

The U.S. can't veto a General Assembly resolution, but the General Assembly can't enforce it if it passes.

[Paleo Conservative]

The U.S. can't veto a General Assembly resolution, but the General Assembly can't enforce it if it passes.

So the UN would be demonstrating its irrelevance. Again!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

You mean there are nations whose ambassadors are still meeting in Geneva and NY to discuss the evil designs of the US? Didn't they get the memo? :)

[dufekin]

"Annan said, 'They are concerned about the Iraqi population and civilian casualties. They are also anxious that assistance should get to the cities and to the people as soon as possible. But of course, they are worried as to how all this is going to turn out, which nobody really knows.'"

"They"--whoever "they" are--need to tune their televisions in their diplomatic offices to a news channel (FOX News, perhaps) during the next Pentagon briefing. Donald Rumsfeld will answer these questions--to the satisfaction of most. America will minimize civilian casualties, deliver humanitarian aid, and win the war. We know this.

"Keyword: Uniting for Peace"

More accurate would be "psuedo-peace," "uniting for terror," or my favorite, "terrorist military dictator psychological support network." Remember the prophetic words of Neville Chamberlain: "peace in our time."

[lepton]

a decision from the General Assembly represents the weight of world opinion.

...by the majority of dictatorships.

[Howlin]

They are concerned about the Iraqi population and civilian casualties.

But they were perfectly willing to let them suffer under Saddam.

[patriot5186]

Support HR 1146 to get the US out of the UN.

[StarFan]

Hey, stop stealing my line.

[Calpublican]

OMG!!

The French may enforce this resolution. We're scr88wed.

[sinkspur]

But they were perfectly willing to let them suffer under Saddam.

Exactly. Why don't these Arabs ask the thug Hussein to step down? Lots of innocent people would live, and live happily.

[LakerCJL]

Here's a question, I just thought about...

How many predominantly muslim countries are there in the world? Which ones are backing our coalition and which ones are for Sadam?

Here's a quick list off the top of my head and from http://www.defendamerica.mil/iraq/worldviews032903.html (Forty-three countries which have offered various levels of support for Operation Iraqi Freedom are willing to be publicly named as members of the coalition, U.S. defense officials said March 20. Some countries prefer to remain anonymous, but that number becomes smaller every day as more coutnries publicly join the coaliton.):

Saudi Arabia - C(oalition)
Yemen - C
Qatar - C
Kuwait - C
UAE - C
Afghanistan - C
Philippines - C
Azerbaijan (aren't they mostly muslim?) - C
Turkey - C
Uzbekistan - C
Iran - neutral? (just hoping we don't come after them next)
Syria - S(adam)
Jordan - (I'm guessing coalition supporting on one face and Sadam loving on the other)
Turkmenistan - ?
Pakistan - two faced probably
Egypt - ?
Somalia - S (I'm sure)
Indonesia - C
Lebanon - S (whatever Syria tells it to do)
Bahrain - C
Oman - C
Djibouti - C
Sudan - ?
Libia - S (whatever takes the worlds eyes off)
Algeria - ?
Morocco - ?
Eritrea (mostly muslim???) - ?
Turkmenistan - ?
Uzbeckistan - ?
Kazahkstan - ?
Kyrgistan - ?

Can anyone help me fill in the blanks? Did I miss any? If I'm right, it shows something interesting....

[Howlin]

Now that you bring that up, I've yet to see one sign that says "Saddam Disarm" or "Saddam Step Down," have you?

[FierceDraka]

"...a decision from the General Assembly represents the weight of world opinion."

Mierde del toro! A decision from that parliament of midgets represents the collective opinion of the worst tyrants on Earth. I wouldn't pee in their mouths if their stomachs were on fire.

[KingNo155]

They (the UN) can vote up or down, sideways if need be, but it dont mean a thing! They won't enforce it, they cant and won't ! Their record speaks for itself!

[Keith]

We will stall it...in a few weeks, it will be over, and the resolution irrelevant.

[Cicero]

I imagine we will stall or block it. But it wouldn't be the end of the world if it passed. On the contrary, it would simply demonstrate that the UN is a) uninterested in supporting its own resolutions or keeping the peace; and b) powerless and irrelevant.

[Route66]

It is interesting these Arab nations seem so into this 'voting' thing at the UN when they don't seem to have any need for it in their own countries.

[TREGEN]

The Un Has no authority anymore, why are they still spewing this crap, they have no spines, Get the UN out of America, send them to France...