 | Updated: ( added more related information in the form of more full video reports: Obama's and Putin's G20 press conferences and the US Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. resolution text. Also of interest is the BBC link: Syria chemical attacks: What we know. )
Dear Readers,
I normally do not want to comment on Chemical Weapon Use and International Law, but in this case I feel I have to make a statement to make my position on the following important issue clear after watching CNN 's late last night full (3 hours and 48 minutes) coverage of (on) the Obama administrations’s case for the use of force against Syria:
"The US punitive strikes against Syria would as it is contemplated now would be a War Crime, even with Congress backing.
There is NO UNSC mandate for it and
the strikes can not be seen as a necessity out of
( collective - ) self defense.
They are meant to punish Syria nothing more.
Apart from that I still doubt Assad is responsible for the Chemical Weapons Attacks of
August 21st 2013. I never saw any hard evidence to prove that case."
Ak Malten, Pro Peaceful Energy Use
I saw _No_ hard evidence on who was responsible for the Chemical Weapon attack against civilian populations in several suburbs of Damascus on Aug. 21, 2013 watching CNN 's late last night full coverage of (on) the Obama administrations’s case for the use of force against Syria. (3 hours and 48 minutes)
( For those of you that missed it below is the link to the full coverage on C-Span ).
That means that the rest of the World, including US Citizens, including my self is still in the black on this important issue.
Apart from that to order punitive strikes, with or without US Congress approval, will be Illegal according to International Law without a UNSC ( or UN ) mandate -and/or- a case of ( collective -) self defense of the US -and/or- his allies as was rightly put by Mr. Ban Ki-moon. See the following quote and it's source:
The Obama administration argues that a chemical weapons attack cannot go unpunished because of the council's inaction.
"As I have repeatedly said, the Security Council has primary responsibility for international peace and security," Mr Ban said at a news conference.
"The use of force is lawful only when in exercise of self-defence ... or when the Security Council approves such action."
UN chief warns against Syria strike - Published: 4 Sep 2013, bankokpost.com, see:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/367931/un-chief-warns-against-syria-strike
For those who missed CNN's full coverage here it is in full at C-Span:
Authorization for Use of Military Force in Syria
Sep 3, 2013
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Joint Chiefs Chair Martin Dempsey testified on the
Obama administrations's case for the use of force against Syria.
3 hours, 48 minutes
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/ForceinS&showFullAbstract=1
Related:
Senate Hearing on Military Force in Syria, Sep 4, 2013; 1 hour, 46 minutes video on C-Span
House Hearing on Military Force in Syria, Sep 4, 2013; 4 hours, 31 minutes video on C-Span
G20: President Obama Press Conference - Russia 9/6/2013, 55 minutes on youtube
Putin's full speech at G20 closing press conference - Russia 9/6/2013, 15 minutes on youtube
Syria Resolution (Senate Foreign Relations Cmte.) - ( full text pdf - 11 pages - DAV13973 )
Syria chemical attacks: What we know, BBC News Middle East, 5 September 2013
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