Lawndart3505
03-23-2003, 07:45 PM
The United States today filed formal complaints against Russia for its sale of prohibited items to Iraq. Also, the US is protesting the prescence of technical advisors.
Weeks ago, Colin Powell went to the security council and brought forth a substantial amount of inteligence including information on what we all now know as the Al-Samoud II missiles. These missiles are made from off the shelf rocket motors built for SA-2 Surface to Air Missiles and sold by (guess who) the Russians. These items were specifically named as prohibited and sanctioned by the UN in at least two resolutions that were ratified by all permanent members of the SC (that means the Russians as well). Interestingly enough, when Secretary Powell accused the Russians of selling these prohibited rocket motors and fuel to the Russians, nobody so much as flinched. Not the French, not the Chinese, not the Germans, not even the Russians. Not even a denial in the press that they, in the past year, have violated the arms embargo on Iraq.
The problem here is that the Russian president and foreign ministers are screaming about an immediate halt to the invasion of Iraq (they use terms like violation of soveriegnty) while they have been rearming a nation that unconditionally surrendered in 1991 and agreed to give up WMD and medium and long range ballistic missile systems.
Can anyone tell me how the UN can even pretend to be a cooperative body?
Lawndart
Weeks ago, Colin Powell went to the security council and brought forth a substantial amount of inteligence including information on what we all now know as the Al-Samoud II missiles. These missiles are made from off the shelf rocket motors built for SA-2 Surface to Air Missiles and sold by (guess who) the Russians. These items were specifically named as prohibited and sanctioned by the UN in at least two resolutions that were ratified by all permanent members of the SC (that means the Russians as well). Interestingly enough, when Secretary Powell accused the Russians of selling these prohibited rocket motors and fuel to the Russians, nobody so much as flinched. Not the French, not the Chinese, not the Germans, not even the Russians. Not even a denial in the press that they, in the past year, have violated the arms embargo on Iraq.
The problem here is that the Russian president and foreign ministers are screaming about an immediate halt to the invasion of Iraq (they use terms like violation of soveriegnty) while they have been rearming a nation that unconditionally surrendered in 1991 and agreed to give up WMD and medium and long range ballistic missile systems.
Can anyone tell me how the UN can even pretend to be a cooperative body?
Lawndart