July 07, 2013

U.S. Invents New Foreign Policy "Principle" That Contradicts Law

noun

\ ˈ prin(t)-s(ə-)pəl, -sə-bəl\

a : a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption b (1) : a rule or b (1)a rule or code of conduct : habitual devotion to right <a man of principle> (2)habitual devotion to right principles

Leslie H. Gelb and Dimitri K. Simes, foreign policy honchos in Washington, ask in an NYT op-ed if there is A New Anti-American Axis?

They seem to believe that any cooperation between Russia and China is somewhat anti-American. There is nothing special to that. U.S. foreign policy folks are permanently constructing new boogeymen. But there is this rather weird passage in their writing:

Both Moscow and Beijing oppose the principle of international action to interfere in a country’s sovereign affairs, much less overthrow a government, as happened in Libya in 2011. After all, that principle could always backfire on them.

Since when is there a principle of interference in other countries business? There is none. The principle in international law is NOT to interfere in any sovereign state's local business.

According to international law scholar Richard Falk the principle of non-intervention is even obligatory for any state since it was incorporated into the Declaration of Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation Among States adopted by the UN General Assembly resolution 2625 in 1970. The resolution notes:

The duty not to intervene in matters within the domestic jurisdiction of any State,..

Gelb and Simes are inventing a principle that says the opposite of the real internationally codified one. One that has been part of international law since the Westphalian Peace Treaty signed in 1648.

It seems like every time the U.S. can not get its ways through the application of international law it just tries to invents a new one even when that totally contradicts the exiting ones. Who do these U.S. foreign policy people want to impress with uttering such nonsense? Claiming such fraudulent principles will only encourage Russia, China and other international actors to counter them by ever deeper cooperation.

Posted by b on July 7, 2013 at 11:22 UTC | Permalink

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