As the media is lost in the trivialities of the General Assembly speeches today something major has happened that points to a real step down to a more premanent foundation of peace in the future.
As WWII wound down international strategy of the FDR administration was centered on a principle of multilateralism among super powers as the key to avoid major conflict and war.
That is why the UN Security Council is a much more powerful UN Organ than the UN General Assembly.
During the last 8 years the Bush Administration has done everything it can to undermine the bi-partisan strategy that has existed through ever Republican and Democratic administration since Truman of trying to avoid unnecessary confrontations with other major powers and find ways to cooperate to find peaceful solutions.
The Iraq war was one obvious example of this, the appointment of the iconclastic adolescent Bolton as ambassador, and the mindless committment to building a modern Maginot Line in the Czech Republic irritating the Russians for no good reason.
Today just a week after
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/09/17/united.states.missile.shield/index.html">the US scraps European defense shield Russian President Medvedev indicated a major change in American/Russian strategy in confronting Iran:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27507.html
White House hails Russia/Iran breakthrough
NEW YORK—The White House is hailing a brief public comment from Russian President Dmitri Medvedev that raises the specter of sanctions against Iran as a breakthrough for U.S. efforts to win support for a tougher global line against Tehran’s nuclear program.
At a meeting with President Barack Obama here Wednesday afternoon, Medvedev said Russia was opposed to Iran developing nuclear weapons and would consider sanctions if other avenues fail to persuade the Islamic Republican to abandon its alleged nuclear ambitions.
“We believe we need to help Iran to make a right decision,” Medvedev said. “As to...sanctions, Russia's belief is very simple, and I stated it recently. Sanctions rarely lead to productive results. But in some cases sanctions are inevitable. Finally, it is a matter of choice.” The National Security Council’s point person for Russia, Michael McFaul, said the Russian president’s comments were the kind of statement the U.S. officials had been seeking from Moscow for months.
“To me, that’s a very big change in their position,” said McFaul, who was clearly delighted as he discussed the development with reporters soon after the session. “I can’t improve on what President Medvedev said.”
“I don’t really see any daylight about our objectives in terms of Iran,” McFaul said.
“It was not that long ago where we had very divergent definitions of the threat and definitions of our strategic objectives vis-a-vis Iran.”
By building a consensus with other powerful countries, including Russia and China, the possibilities for resolving differences with even recalcitrant or 'outlaw' states without the use of force increases geometrically.
Not getting big headlines the joint meeting and announcement by President Obama and President Medvedev is a significant change in the way major powers work together on issues that will effect peace and war.
Today was a good day for peace. 
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
