UN Security
Council resolution authorizes 'all necessary means' to be used against groups associated
with al Qaeda
Mon, Nov 23,
2015
No more
'moderate terrorist' non-sense
Russia’s diplomats
have been as busy as Russia’s military.
They have now
obtained UN Security Council as well as Syrian government approval for Russia’s
military campaign.
They have also got
the UN Security Council to scotch the myth of the “moderate jihadis” once and
for all.
Back in September,
when it became clear the Russians were intending to act in Syria,Russia
Insider predicted the Russians would try to get a Resolution from the
UN Security Council to give additional legal cover for their
military action.
This is in contrast
to the US, which avoids the Security Council whenever it can, and which usually
prefers to act unilaterally without a UN Security Council mandate.
Thus US bombing of
the Islamic State in Syria was doubly illegal under international law because
it was carried out without permission from either the UN Security Council or
from the Syrian government.
Russia's military
action by contrast is completely legal. It has the permission of both the UN
Security Council and the Syrian government for it.
It took weeks for
the Russians to get their Security Council Resolution. This was because the US
did everything it could to stand in the way. However, after weeks of hard work,
Russia’s diplomats have finally got the Resolution Russia wanted.
What changed the
position was the terrorist outrage in Paris.
After the Paris
attack the French backed Russia’s proposal for a UN Security Council
Resolution. At that point the US could no longer block it. The US cannot veto a
Resolution backed by its own ally France, especially in the immediate aftermath
of a terrorist attack.
Something that
suggests some people in the US might be unhappy with this development is the
absence from the Security Council table of one person who would normally be
expected to be there for such an important vote.
This was Samantha
Power - the US’s UN ambassador - a hardline liberal interventionist and one of
the most aggressive voices within the US administration calling for regime
change in Syria and confrontation with Russia.
Her relations with
Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s exceptionally able UN ambassador, are said to be
poisonous (see the photo at the top of this article).
It looks as if
voting for the Resolution was more than Samantha Power could bear. That
probably explains why she stayed away.
In her absence it
was left to her deputy, Michele Sison - a career diplomat - to speak and vote
for the US.
The full text of
the Resolution - which is not limited to Syria - is below.
The key words in
the Resolution are these:
“(The Security
Council) Calls upon Member States that have the capacity to do so to take all
necessary measures, in compliance with international law, in particular with
the United Nations Charter, as well as international human rights, refugee and
humanitarian law, on the territory under the control of ISIL also known as
Da’esh, in Syria and Iraq, to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent
and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by ISIL also known as Da’esh
as well as ANF, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities
associated with Al-Qaida, and other terrorist groups”
The Security
Council has not only backed Russia’s military campaign (“all necessary means”),
but it has also made clear that Russia is fully entitled to extend this
campaign to “all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities
associated with Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups”.
The Resolution
names amongst these terrorist groups the Al-Nusrah Front.
Russia is therefore
fully authorised to bomb all the various jihadi groups in Syria that it
is bombing.
Even the US has
been forced to admit - at least in the Security Council - that the talk of
Russia bombing the wrong people - the “moderate jihadis” - is nonsense.
“The Security Council,
“Reaffirming its
resolutions 1267 (1999), 1368 (2001), 1373 (2001), 1618 (2005), 1624
(2005), 2083 (2012), 2129 (2013), 2133 (2014), 2161 (2014), 2170 (2014),
2178 (2014), 2195 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2214 (2015), and its relevant
presidential statements,
“Reaffirming the
principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations,
“Reaffirming its
respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and unity of
all States in accordance with purposes and principles of the United
Nations Charter,
“Reaffirming that
terrorism in all forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious
threats to international peace and security and that any acts of terrorism are
criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivations, whenever and by whomsoever committed,
“Determining that,
by its violent extremist ideology, its terrorist acts, its continued gross
systematic and widespread attacks directed against civilians, abuses of human
rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those driven
on religious or ethnic ground, its eradication of cultural heritage and
trafficking of cultural property, but also its control over significant parts
and natural resources across Iraq and Syria and its recruitment and training of
foreign terrorist fighters whose threat affects all regions and Member States,
even those far from conflict zones, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL, also known as Da’esh), constitutes a global and unprecedented threat to
international peace and security,
“Recalling that the
Al-Nusrah Front (ANF) and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and
entities associated with Al-Qaida also constitute a threat to international
peace and security,
“Determined to
combat by all means this unprecedented threat to international peace
and security,
“Noting the letters
dated 25 June 2014 and 20 September 2014 from the Iraqi
authorities which state that Da’esh has established a safe haven outside Iraq’s
borders that is a direct threat to the security of the Iraqi people
and territory,
“Reaffirming that
Member States must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism comply
with all their obligations under international law, in particular international
human rights, refugee and humanitarian law;
“Reiterating that the
situation will continue to deteriorate further in the absence of a political
solution to the Syria conflict and emphasizing the need to implement the Geneva
communiqué of 30 June 2012 endorsed as Annex II of its resolution 2118 (2013),
the joint statement on the outcome of the multilateral talks on Syria in Vienna
of 30 October 2015 and the statement of the International Syria Support Group
(ISSG) of 14 November 2015,
“1.
Unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms the horrifying terrorist attacks
perpetrated by ISIL also known as Da’esh which took place on 26 June 2015 in
Sousse, on 10 October 2015 in Ankara, on 31 October 2015 over Sinaï, on
12 November 2015 in Beirut and on 13 November 2015 in Paris, and all other
attacks perpetrated by ISIL also known as Da’esh, including hostage-taking and
killing, and notes it has the capability and intention to carry out further
attacks and regards all such acts of terrorism as a threat to peace
and security;
“2.
Expresses its deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims and their
families and to the people and Governments of Tunisia, Turkey, Russian
Federation, Lebanon and France, and to all Governments whose citizens were
targeted in the above mentioned attacks and all other victims
of terrorism;
“3.
Condemns also in the strongest terms the continued gross, systematic and
widespread abuses of human rights and violations of humanitarian law, as well
as barbaric acts of destruction and looting of cultural heritage carried out by
ISIL also known as Da’esh;
“4.
Reaffirms that those responsible for committing or otherwise responsible for
terrorist acts, violations of international humanitarian law or violations or
abuses of human rights must be held accountable;
“5.
Calls upon Member States that have the capacity to do so to take all necessary
measures, in compliance with international law, in particular with the United
Nations Charter, as well as international human rights, refugee and
humanitarian law, on the territory under the control of ISIL also known as
Da’esh, in Syria and Iraq, to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent
and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically by ISIL also known as Da’esh
as well as ANF, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities
associated with Al-Qaida, and other terrorist groups, as designated by the
United Nations Security Council, and as may further be agreed by the
International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and endorsed by the UN Security
Council, pursuant to the statement of the International Syria Support Group
(ISSG) of 14 November, and to eradicate the safe haven they have established
over significant parts of Iraq and Syria;
“6.
Urges Member States to intensify their efforts to stem the flow of foreign
terrorist fighters to Iraq and Syria and to prevent and suppress the financing
of terrorism, and urges all Members States to continue to fully implement the
above-mentioned resolutions;
“7.
Expresses its intention to swiftly update the 1267 committee sanctions list in
order to better reflect the threat posed by ISIL also known as Da’esh;
“8. Decides
to remain seized of the matter.
