Thursday, March 05, 2009
Think multilaterally...then you don't have to act at all
In the wake of the ICC’s arrest warrant for Sudanese President Bashir, today’s Washington Post has Obama allies General McPeak and Kurt Bassuener weighing in with more advice:
“But prioritizing Darfur would make clear that the Obama administration can rally international cooperation to resolve thorny security problems….President Obama has vowed to act multilaterally, where possible, to build real, consensus solutions to international security problems. Decisive international action in Darfur may present the best opportunity to demonstrate this resolve.”
From my vantage point, when they call on the President to prioritize Darfur, that just means talking about it – there appears to be little danger that President Obama would ever be called on to have the US act unilaterally.
And if we’re waiting on the rest of the world:
“The African Union (AU) decided at an emergency meeting on Thursday to send a high-level delegation to press the UN Security Council to delay the indictment…China, which buys much of Sudan's oil and sells it weapons, has also urged the court to postpone the case, warning it risked destabilising Darfur…BBC NEWS Africa Bashir vows to defy Darfur charge
“But not everybody welcomed the decision. Russia's special envoy to Sudan, Mikhail Margelov, said that the ICC warrant "will create a dangerous precedent in the system of international relations and could negatively affect the situation both inside Sudan and the overall situation in the region."ICC on Darfur: Arrest Warrant Issued for Sudan President - SPIEGEL ONLINE
As I pointed out yesterday, feel free to plan those vacations because there is nothing to see here.
“But prioritizing Darfur would make clear that the Obama administration can rally international cooperation to resolve thorny security problems….President Obama has vowed to act multilaterally, where possible, to build real, consensus solutions to international security problems. Decisive international action in Darfur may present the best opportunity to demonstrate this resolve.”
From my vantage point, when they call on the President to prioritize Darfur, that just means talking about it – there appears to be little danger that President Obama would ever be called on to have the US act unilaterally.
And if we’re waiting on the rest of the world:
“The African Union (AU) decided at an emergency meeting on Thursday to send a high-level delegation to press the UN Security Council to delay the indictment…China, which buys much of Sudan's oil and sells it weapons, has also urged the court to postpone the case, warning it risked destabilising Darfur…BBC NEWS Africa Bashir vows to defy Darfur charge
“But not everybody welcomed the decision. Russia's special envoy to Sudan, Mikhail Margelov, said that the ICC warrant "will create a dangerous precedent in the system of international relations and could negatively affect the situation both inside Sudan and the overall situation in the region."ICC on Darfur: Arrest Warrant Issued for Sudan President - SPIEGEL ONLINE
As I pointed out yesterday, feel free to plan those vacations because there is nothing to see here.
