Wash. Post: Inside Mugabe's Violent Crackdown

[Slateman]

Looks like the UN is going to have one hell of a mess to clean up.

My question is for UN supporters, will they?

Have they ever?

[lovellj]

I did. Thanks.

Sounds like South Africa's in a position to strongarm the strongman and just refusing to do it. Kinda like a reverse-raced Good Ol' Boy network.

Seriously though. Why does the UN not move in here, and as BRAVE pointed out, in Darfur? These situations are the very reason for their existence.

Simple answer - they more or less need Security Council (UNSC) approval to do so. Russia and China will veto any real action the UN can take to meddle in the internal affairs of a country (rather far stretched fears about the precedent set and subsequent situations in Tibet, Taiwan, Chechnya, Georgia, the 'stans, etc). Somewhat similar to why the UN won't recognize Kosovo as an independent state (ref. Serbia). The UN's only in existence because the big powers let it - it is limited in any real action it can take by the necessity for UNSC approval. That, and the mess about getting the forces necessary should anything actually go down (would probably be African Union forces if it did, which are fairly unprepared comparatively and already a bit stretched by Darfur).

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Simple answer - they more or less need Security Council (UNSC) approval to do so. Russia and China will veto any real action the UN can take to meddle in the internal affairs of a country (rather far stretched fears about the precedent set and subsequent situations in Tibet, Taiwan, Chechnya, Georgia, the 'stans, etc). Somewhat similar to why the UN won't recognize Kosovo as an independent state (ref. Serbia). The UN's only in existence because the big powers let it - it is limited in any real action it can take by the necessity for UNSC approval. That, and the mess about getting the forces necessary should anything actually go down (would probably be African Union forces if it did, which are fairly unprepared comparatively and already a bit stretched by Darfur).

Great post. The U.N takes a lot of heat..some of which is deserved. But not all.

A lot of the UN's problems are caused by its own members obstructing things.

The United States included...at times.

[lovellj]

Great post. The U.N takes a lot of heat..some of which is deserved. But not all.

A lot of the UN's problems are caused by its own members obstructing things.

The United States included...at times.

Thanks man - much appreciated. The UN is only as useful as the world's biggest powers allow it to be - for better or for worse.

[ACW]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdle5xGy6y4

A small thing, but still made me