Obama Cites Intl Law to Justify War, Disregards When It Serves Peace

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/09/05


U.S. President Barack Obama waves from Air Force One during his departure at Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, in Stockholm, Sweden. Obama is traveling to St. Petersburg, Russia, to meet with foreign leaders at the G20 economic summit. (AP Photo/Claudio Bresciani)

In a stopover in Stockholm, Sweden on his way to the G20 summit set to begin in Russia on Thursday, President Obama defied logic—or at least consistency—as he argued that it was the "international community's credibility that was on the line" and not his own when it came to a military assault on Syria.

Making reference to the Convention Against Chemical Weapons and the obligation to respond to Syria militarily for the alleged use of such weapons, Obama said: "My credibility is not on the line. The international community's credibility is on the line because we give lip service to the notion that these international norms are important."

But the president's comments create an obvious contradiction because it has been the stated position of the Obama administration to avoid engaging with the United Nations over the issue, sidestepping the world body by ignoring its investigation into the alleged used of chemical weapons in Syria and deciding against presenting its own case for military action to the UN Security Council despite the legal requirement that it do so.

"The world set a red line when governments representing 98% of the world's population said the use of chemical weapons was abhorrent and passed a treaty forbidding their use even when countries are engaged in war," Obama argued. "That was not something I just kind of made up, I did not pluck it out of thin air."

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

1. You see, our credibility has to fight them over there or

our credibility will have to fight them here.


Why do you hate American Exceptionalism?

[maddezmom]

5. No attacks? Seriously, do you believe this?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. Can someone PLEASE cite the provision of Interational Law that allows us to attack Syria!

[jsr]

4. Well, we must prevent Assad from launching his chemical weapon ballistic missiles at us.

[Romulox]

6. Striking Syria without approval of the UN Security Council is a clear violation of Int'l Law. nt