Shame on America and the United Nations

By FinalCall.com News | Last updated: Jun 21, 2010 - 4:50:17 PM

What happened to peacemaking?

Over and over again, the UN has been used as the pawn of the United States and as a vehicle for pursuit of U.S. interests, whether it is the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have cost the U.S. thousands of lives and billions of dollars, or the steady drive for an apparent military assault on Iran.

(FinalCall.com) - Pushed by the United States, the United Nations Security Council recently passed additional sanctions against Iran and again demanded that the Islamic republic give up development of its nuclear program.

While the sanctions were declared a success by the Obama administration envoy to the United Nations, Dr. Susan Rice, others have complained that the sanctions do too little to matter and Iranian leaders have dismissed the measures as worthless.

The UN Security Council June 9 announced the passing of Resolution 1929. It bans a wider range of arms sales to the Iranians; adds the names of more Iranian companies to an embargo blacklist; restricts Iranian banks operating abroad; authorizes nations to stop and inspect any cargo bound for Iran that they suspect contains prohibited nuclear items.

The West wants to harm Iran's economy and undermine the regime of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, but there are questions about whether these new sanctions can make that happen.

“These are not the crippling sanctions that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had promised,” said the Council on Foreign Relations, a domestic group tied to U.S. foreign policy. “President Barack Obama calculates that even a watered-down resolution will put pressure on Tehran to return to the negotiating table; and the resolution shows that the permanent five members of the Security Council (France, Britain, China, Russia, U.S.) are united in their demand that Iran comes clean about its nuclear program.”

Dr. Rice speaking hailed the resolution as “tough, smart and precise.”

But critics say the measure is voluntary and previous resolutions against Iran, and U.S./Israeli threats of possible military actions have not forced Iran to abandon its nuclear enrichment program.

“It's not too convincing to claim to support the goal of a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East while winking and nodding at Israel's sizeable nuclear arsenal,” noted Norman Solomon, executive director of the Washington-based Institute for Public Accuracy, in an interview with Inter-Press Service. “The region should be de-nuclearized. That is our best hope for halting proliferation and stabilizing the spiral of existential threats, real or imagined.”

Iran's UN ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee, had harsh words for the sponsors of the resolution, saying “the UK and U.S. have abused the power of the Security Council to ensure that nothing would interfere with the interests of the capitalist world.”

He argued the “credibility” of a Security Council that enforces nothing more than “rampant double standards” was at stake.

Lebanon's delegate also spoke harshly, saying his government abstained from voting because it opposes “selective” application of international rules.

The Lebanese diplomat noted Israel was not a signatory to international treaties that govern the spread of nuclear weapons and was not accountable to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Despite the U.S. declarations of victory and diplomatic arm twisting, the loser in this equation is the United Nations and its place as a forum for justice and peacemaking.

“The only feasible rationale for imposing further sanctions in the face of Iran's obvious willingness to negotiate must be found not in any wish to reduce the threat posed by nuclear weapons, but instead in the geopolitical interests of a few power-hungry countries—and their allies and client states—who possess an undemocratic veto power in the UN,” observed Massoud Parsi, in an article for Al Jazeera.net. “The UN, it appears, does not desire a nuclear-free Middle East.

“After the Iraq and Afghanistan debacles, such actions by the UN Security Council only serve to further delegitimise the UN and to undermine its charter. The U.S.' games have in effect crippled the UN.”

It is also notable that the attempt to punish Iran comes as the UN was unable to do anything to sanction Israel for attacking ships that were headed to Gaza with medical supplies, food and humanitarian aid to help Palestinians suffering under an ongoing and illegal Israeli blockade.

Nine people died when Israeli commandoes boarded the ships in international waters and an American was among those who lost their lives. Yet the UN, pressured by America, could only issue a weak “presidential statement,” not sanctions, and condemn the raids on the ships and call for an investigation, which was promptly contested by the Israelis who said they could investigate themselves.

Such conduct would be surprising if not for the history of the powerful Zionist lobby in America and America's history of supporting and upholding Israel and her actions, regardless of whether she is right or wrong.

While this may sound like it's worlds away from taxpayers struggling with a stalled economy, housing values that have fallen through the floor and fears for the future of this country, it's not. Not only does America give Israel billions of dollars in aid, money that is not helping solve problems in this country, it also is so connected to Israel's unjust policies that enemies of those policies become enemies of America as well.

Injustice can never ensure a nation's perpetuity as the ruins of fallen empires of the past bear witness and as scripture warns. Scripture also warns of the gathering of armies toward Jerusalem as the nations of the earth prepare for an apocalyptic final battle. Every step America takes to fan tension and support oppression in the Middle East, and every wrong step the UN follows, only hastens fulfillment of divine scripture. So it is in the best interest of America's people and the world to demand that the U.S. and UN stand for what is right, not what they think they have the power to enforce on others.

Iran's President speaks on relations with U.S. (FCN, 05-18-2010)

U.S. walks out as Iran presents its case at UN conference (FCN, 05-7-2010)

World community backs Iran's nuclear program (FCN, 09-14-2008)

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