Earlier this week the House of Representatives passed a resolution urging the UN Security Council to charge Iranian President Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the UN convention on genocide for recent comments in which he declared that Israel should be "wiped off the map." Prior attempts to condemn Iran in the Security Council have consistently failed, including one introduced by France earlier this month in response to similar comments made by the Iranian president in the end of May which had even been endorsed by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
The UN charter and the genocide convention both expressly prohibit the head of state of one nation advocating the destruction of another member nation, but the rules of the Security Council, which require a unanimous 15-member vote to condemn such a statement, have made it very difficult to take even such a largely symbolic action. All it takes is one abstention to block the vote as was the case earlier this month when Qatar abstained.
The House resolution passed by a margin of 411 to 2 - the two voting against the resolution were presidential candidates Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich - but the level of anger felt by House members doesn't necessarily translate into action on the part of the UN, as has been clearly demonstrated too many times in the past.
It's not like Ahmadinejad's comment is some one-time aberration. He makes comments like this on an almost weekly basis. Here are a few of his statements on Israel from the last fer years:
"The Lebanese nation pushed the button to begin counting the days until the destruction of the Zionist regime...God willing, in the near future we will witness the destruction of the corrupt occupier regime."And this is all without even going into his sponsorship of a recent Holocaust denial convention in Iran, the placement of thousands of revolutionary guards with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, massive funding and military support for anti-Israel terrorist groups, etc. All of this from a country which doesn't even border Israel and is in no realistic way threatened by its existence."As the Imam (Ayatollah Khomeini) said, Israel must be wiped off the map."
"By God's will, we will witness the destruction of this regime (Israel) in the near future."
"Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury."
"Israel is a tyrannical regime that will one day will be destroyed."
"Israel is a rotten, dried tree that will be annihilated in one storm."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Lumpy
If we got rid of the UN how would we deal with international crises. Would the US just rule by imperial fiat? I doubt we can afford the cost that would bring.
2 - No more war!
Follow the money. In particular, the US dollar. It is not backed by gold or silver. It's only commodity support is the fact that only US dollars can be used to buy oil.
Saddam Hussein started selling oil for Euros. The US then invaded Iraq and now Saddam is dead. Last month Iran announced they were going to start selling oil for Euros.
3 - Cameron
Why does it bother you if the Iranian President says the Israeli government should be disbanded? To equate that with genocide is absurd on its face.
Iran protects the rights of Iranian Jews to practice their religion in Article 13 of its Constitution. There are thousands of Jews living in Tehran right now. Tehran has 23 Synagogues.
Iran has not attacked Israel. Iran has not attacked the United States. The Iranian President is not calling for the slaughter of Jews. Ahmadenijad is no different than a barking dog in a yard down the street from you. Leave him alone and he will leave you alone. He is entitled to voice his opinions.
4 - gary
< Iran, Genocide, and Human Rights: Is the UN Any Use at All?
In it's current form, no. Clearly not. The world is littered with UN failures. We need a drastic overhaul of the institution, specifically...
UnitedDemocraticNations.org
There's clearly a need for cooperation on the global level, now more than ever before, but until we reform the institution itself, keep your expectations low.
gary
5 - sr
No more war!. Ya I wish. Just maybe Mahemroid Ahmadijeckoffag will end up in a spider hole getting fucked by a horney camel or a Bill Clinton Cigar wrapped in heavy dudy tinfoil. We can only hope.
6 - troll
Lumpy: the US - with its massive consumer base and military and commitments made world wide to maintain and underwrite a system of relatively free markets - already rules and we taxpayers already fund this
NMW: imagine what would happen if the US gov stopped printing funny money consumer dollars that support international production and trade
are the Europeans actually in a position to guarantee consumption and manage inflationary pressures - ?
----
unless we empower the UN with some kind of control over our sovereignty it will remain little more than a debating society and one hegemon or another will be required to actually get shit done internationally
7 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
unless we empower the UN with some kind of control over our sovereignty it will remain little more than a debating society and one hegemon or another will be required to actually get shit done internationally
troll,
You would empower the UN with control over sovereignty? You would entrust your fate to pieces of shit like Mugabe? Isn't it bad enough that your country's balls are in a little jar in Riyadh and you've sold yourselves out to them? Please tell me that I read wrong and need new glasses. I haven't read anything so idiotic a suggestion for a long time.
8 - Lumpy
Troll. You certainly wouldn't want to give the UN as it now exists control over any part of our sovereignty. Maybe if it was replaced by a better alternative organization.
9 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Cameron,
Thousands of Jews leave Persia all the time to live here. I know lots of them. No matter how bad things are here, no Jew has to kiss Moslem ass in the Persian neighborhoods of J-lem.
Maariv reports that the IDF is planning ways to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities. I hope they actually attack them, though destroying Teheran would be a far more effective solution.
Ahmadinejad wants war. He should get what he wants - from US,in Israel - in spades.
We have the capability to do these things - we should trust in G-d and not America and finally do what is right.
10 - troll
Ruvy - you read wrong...I was pointing out what would have to happen for the UN to function as a 'world government'
that's not something that I advocate
but then that leaves some super power with a thankless job
11 - sr
Ruvy, You said it best. Trust in G-d and not in America. Israel is G-d,s territory and not America,s. I know Israel as the capability of removeing Iran/Persia off the planet. The sooner the better. Please Israel if you are reading this do not rely on the US to fix your promblems. I love my country however my fear is for Israel. Please do the job yourself. I believe your a divided country and you must be united and get your shit together. LONG LIVE ISRAEL. sr
12 - Lee Richards
Rule #1:
Run like hell away from anyone who claims to know what God wants or says.
13 - sr
Mr Lee. Just keep running like Forrest Gump. I hear it's great for the body and soul. Dont forget to drink your water. See you at the finish line.
14 - Paul2
Dave Nalle has shown in all of his posts that he doesn't have any knowledge about international law- he simply denies applicability when he sees fit: in Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Cuba or any other nation that doesn't suck up to US foreign policy. He has claimed that the US-forces have not violated international law in Iraq, Afghanistan in South America or elsewhere, although courts and institutions have made contrary assessments. He certainly does not give a fuck about human rights, besides his own. He also doesn't care about the United Nations as an Institution or its charter. He thinks it should be overruled as he sees fit.
15 - Paul2
And Ruvy- are you out of your mind ... destroying Teheran with 7 million inhabitans ?
16 - moonraven
Paul2:
I can't imagine what you are doing posting commonsense comments on this gameboy site.
The UN was economically gutted by the US--who holds it hostage to rubber stamp its massive menu of acts against international law.
Of course Israel should be de-countrified. It's a no brainer.
17 - Clavos
"I can't imagine what you are doing posting commonsense comments on this gameboy site."
And yet, here you are, mr. Again.
18 - Kayhan
The UN is a tool for the western powers. It has achieved nothing and particular with the second Lebanon war. When the zionist regime of Israel were slaughtering innocent civilians the US were veteoing every measure against the war. Iran has the second most jewish population after the zionist regime of Israel. Israel has tried to pursuay the Iranian jews to come to Israel for cash but they refused because of their proud history. Also, if the zionist regime of Israel does decide to attack Iran, it will embark the middle east. Though, the double standards the US and zionist regime of Israel of having nucleur weapons they can't afford another war. The US is bogged down in Iraq which the government has more of a close tie to Iran than the Imperialistic government of the Bush administration and Israel would provoke Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, and most of the Islamic world. They will not win. Iran, has never attacked anybody throughout their 30 years of the Islamic Revolution. Ahmadinejad is a brilliant leader compared to the awful tyrants of Bush and Olmert. So please, if war breaks out..the US and zionist regime of Israel would drastically lose.
19 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Paul,
The fucker who runs Iran wants me and every Jew who lives in Israel dead. Hey! Why should I give a damn if a nuke kills seven million Iranians? To satisfy your notions of Christian charity? Forget it! Find some other Jesus to stick on a cross.
This asshole is sacrificing the humanity of those he rules daily with his demands for my genocide. And they are not throwing him out.
WE in Israel have been made to pay for the stupidity of our leaders. In spades. Why shouldn't the Iranians pony up, too?
Where was your international law when MY people were sitting in death camps, Paul? Out to lunch? Where were the Europeans when Hitler was slowly accumulating power? Drinking Evian water, figuring out how to close their doors to Jews and Gypsies? Where were the Americans? Hiding behind their seacoasts?
What humanity have you earned that I should respect it?
The people who want me dead deserve to die. It is a very simple concept, Paul. Kill off the fucker who wants to kill you before he gets the chance. If you don't like it, get a barf bag and throw up.
20 - moonraven
Ruvy,
Take your pills.
Clavos, I don't make any attempt to post commonsense comments on this site. It's just a place folks like you go to caress folks like Nalle. Jerkoffs.
21 - Lee Richards
Rule #2:
Run like hell away from anyone who thinks that God wants him to be an instrument of righteous wrath and punishment.
22 - troll
Ruvy - I doubt that very many folks in Tehran want you dead yet you'd kill them all not even preserving a sixth
23 - moonraven
As nuts as this guy is I am frankly surprised one of his Israeli neighbors hasn't slipped a molotov cocktail down his pants.
The ultimate wedgie....
24 - Clavos
"Clavos, I don't make any attempt to post commonsense comments on this site"
Not to worry, mr. We've noticed.
25 - dennis
The bottom line is that the UN will only become effective when morality and humanity supercede the political, military, ideological and economic interests of its member states. The record of the UN in preventing and interceding in genocide is extremely bleak. Rwanda, named officially as a genocide by the UN, was victimized by the inherent impotence of the UN. The UN has ritually condemned Israel but tolerates the activities of authoritarian despotic regimes such as Syria and Iran. The world community essentially turns a blind eye to the daily virulent anti-semitism espoused by the Palestinian media. How many more genocides are needed before the phrase "Never again" attains any real meaning? Dennis L.