USAS EXPLOITATION OF THE UNITED-NATIONS I N THE GULF-WAR

Authors
Citation
N. Khan, USAS EXPLOITATION OF THE UNITED-NATIONS I N THE GULF-WAR, Internasjonal politikk, 51(4), 1993, pp. 501-514
Citations number
12
Categorie Soggetti
Political Science","International Relations
Journal title
ISSN journal
0020577X
Volume
51
Issue
4
Year of publication
1993
Pages
501 - 514
Database
ISI
SICI code
0020-577X(1993)51:4<501:UEOTUI>2.0.ZU;2-I
Abstract
The main aim of this article is to focus on the role of the UN in the Gulf crisis and war. The author argues that the aim of the US Administ ration was to advance its regional and global interests in a unipolar world. In furtherance of these objectives, the US totally manipulated and misused the UN to unleash a genocidal war on a Third World country . The US President, George Bush, turned to the UN in dealing with a re gional conflict and masterfully managed to turn the UN into an instrum ent to further the US militaristic and political objectives. The artic le outlines how the UN, instead of preventing the war, became instrume ntal in the US-led Western allies' war aims. No options to a peaceful settlement of the Iraqi-Kuwaiti conflict were tried before resorting t o a disproportionate war of mass destruction and annihilation. It argu es that the US rushed the UN into allowing a war in circumstances wher e the economic sanctions imposed by the UN were not allowed any reason able period of time to be effective. Once having authorised the milita ry action, the UN became a passive spectator of the tragic events. The US-led coalition carried out a systematic and calculated destruction of Iraq to bring it back to ''the pre-industrial age''. The US was not accountable to the UN for the objectives of the war or the conduct of the war. The article lays bare the violations of the constitutional s tructure of the UN Charter by the Security Council under the undue inf luence and manipulation of the US.