Socialist International statement on Iraq

national | miscellaneous | news report

Friday March 21, 2003 15:38

by flanagan - Labour Party

Socialist International deplores the decision of the United States Administration action of "preventive" unilateral war against Iraq without the authorisation of the Security Council of the United Nations

Statement

The Executive of the Socialist International

Reaffirming its approach to the international crisis linked to Iraq adopted unanimously at the meeting of the SI Council in Rome (20-21 January 2003) which set out the aim of pursuing the disarmament of the weapons of mass destruction of Iraq by political and peaceful means;

Considering that the action of international inspection, carried out under the auspices of the Security Council of the United Nations, had begun to give concrete results in the area of dismantling of banned weapons owned by Iraq;

Faced by the dramatic developments which are currently underway in Iraq:

Considers it unacceptable and deplores the decision of the United States Administration to begin action of "preventive" unilateral war against Iraq without the authorisation of the Security Council of the United Nations;

Reaffirms its conviction that the use of force, must, in all cases, only be considered as a "last resort" and can only occur within full international legitimacy based on the United Nations Charter;

Reaffirms the need to immediately restart diplomatic and political initiatives to deal with Iraqi crisis, under the full control of the Security Council of the United Nations;

Greatly regrets all action aimed at weakening the central role that the international institutions must play in the domain of international security and deplores the fact that, in the present circumstances, all unilateral action has been objectively against the authority of the United Nations;

Reaffirms its commitment to a multilateral approach in international relations and expresses its sympathy and support to all those, around the world, who are protesting for peace and against war;

Affirms its hope that the damage which could well be caused is as little as possible and that there will be no innocent victims;

Reaffirms its commitment to the cause of democracy and the respect of human rights in Iraq, as in all countries around the world, and asks that the international community, under the leadership of the United Nations, can guarantee an independent and democratic future for Iraq; expresses once again its solidarity and support for the forces fighting for democratic and peaceful change in Iraq and recalls that the Socialist International will organise an international conference in support of Iraqi democrats in Rome;

Seeks any initiative to be taken to propose that the International Criminal Court investigate the Iraqi regime's responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity.