Ten Years after 9/11, Minister Condemns Excessive Military Power

A decade after 9/11, Brazil is condemning the practices that oppose the quest for peace and stability in the world. During a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Patriota stated that the world should actually look for ways in which to maintain equilibrium and he condemned what he referred to as an abuse of “military power.”

Patriota met this Sunday with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. This Monday he will meet with Turkish President Abdullah Gul. The objective is to plan for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s visit to the country in October.

By mentioning the 9/11 episode, Patriota referred not only to the terrorist attacks, but also to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, beyond the crises that affect Libya and Syria. According to him, these “interventions” show their inability to resolve conflicts. “The unipolar world is over,” says Patriota. According to him, recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq indicate that there are more actors in the world today.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated the limits of military power. No country alone can establish the direction of the world, no matter how powerful. We currently have new actors, says the chancellor, who highlighted the need to increase the size of the U.N. Security Council for up to 25 members since there are presently 15 members who alternate between fixed and rotating.

Patriota recalled that in recent military conflicts, thousands of people died – both military personnel and civilians. The chancellor added that there is only one way to achieve global development and equilibrium: “Peace is what brings about peace. Tolerance through education is the way,” he affirmed. According to him, the Brazilian government favors dialogue and negotiations to bring about solutions.

During the discourse to analysts and Turkish authorities, the chancellor also noted the difficulties experienced by various African nations – particularly in the Horn of Africa, which includes Somalia and Kenya, for example – in which hunger threatens to kill thousands of people, especially children and adolescents. “It’s necessary to establish a system of global stability,” he said.