Baby Steps

158

October 5, 2013

Published in Braunschweiger Zeitung
(Germany) on 2 October 2013
by Friedemann Diederichs (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Calynn Dowler. Edited by Keith Armstrong.

The fact that the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council have agreed to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons, even if it did happen later than originally intended, represents a small step forward — but not much more than that.

That’s because Moscow, the reliable patron of Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad, is still preventing the “enemy of humanity” (U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon) and a “war criminal” (Obama) from taking action. Because of this, there has been little reference to the fault of the Syrian regime for the latest gas attack and no automatic responses that would give clout to the resolution being sought by Washington, all of which is quite humiliating for the Americans. How we move forward now is unclear. Hope dies slowly, particularly in diplomacy. Even if Assad does not comply with the timetable for handing over the chemical weapons, or only hands them over partially, the Kremlin can continue to fend off penalties with a “nyet.”

In the U.S., other issues have gained the upper hand; Obama’s moral imperative that the use of weapons of mass destruction must have serious consequences seems to have been forgotten by most, and even by him.

The time factor and the different interests of the great powers have always been the most valuable weapon of “rogue states.” Why should it be any different now?

Kommentar

Dass sich die fünf Veto-Mächte später als zunächst beabsichtigt doch noch auf einen UN-Sicherheitsratsbeschluss zur Vernichtung der syrischen Chemiewaffen einigen konnten, ist ein Mini-Schritt nach vorn - aber nicht viel mehr.

Denn weiter hält Moskau, der so zuverlässige Schutzpatron von Syriens Diktator Bashar al-Assad, zuverlässig die Hand über den „Feind der Humanität“ (UN-Generalskretär Bank Ki Moon) und „Kriegsverbrecher“ (Obama). So fehlt deshalb, was durchaus als Demütigung der Amerikaner interpretiert werden darf, nicht nur jeder Hinweis auf die Schuld des syrischen Regimes am letzten Giftgasangriff, sondern auch jeder Automatismus, der dieser Resolution die von Washington angestrebte Durchschlagkraft verleihen würde. Wie es nun weitergeht, ist unklar. Vor allem in der Diplomatie stirbt die Hoffnung sehr langsam. Selbst wenn Assad den Zeitplan zur Waffen-Übergabe nicht einhält oder die Bestände nur unvollständig preisgeben sollte, kann der Kreml weiter durch ein „njet“ Strafen abwehren.

In den USA werden bis dahin andere Themen die Oberhand gewonnen haben und Obamas moralisches Lehrkapitel, der Einsatz von Massen-Vernichtungswaffen müsse ernsthafte Folgen haben, von den meisten und ihm vergessen sein. Der Faktor Zeit und die unterschiedlichen Interessenlagen der Großmächte waren schon immer die wertvollste Waffe von „Schurkenstaaten“. Warum sollte das diesmal anders sein?

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