IRAQ: US blocks General Assembly meeting

BY DOUG LORIMER

While presenting its invasion of Iraq as having the broad international support, Washington has waged a concerted diplomatic campaign to block the convening of an emergency session of the 191 member countries of the UN General Assembly to discuss the US-British-Australian attack on Iraq.

According to a March 22 Reuters dispatch: "The United States has launched a worldwide diplomatic drive to head off the calling of an emergency session of the UN General Assembly to condemn the US-led war on Iraq."

The idea for an emergency session of the General Assembly has been endorsed by the 22-member League of Arab States, the Russian parliament and a large number of Latin American, African and Asian governments.

Washington has circulated letters to many countries stating: "Given the current highly charged atmosphere, the United States would regard a General Assembly session on Iraq as unhelpful and as directed against the United States."

This is an admission that the US and its "coalition" partners in the invasion of Iraq know they would be roundly condemned by the majority of the world's governments for their unprovoked military aggression against Iraq.

While Washington has so far blocked the calling of the UN General Assembly, it has not been able to prevent the convening of an open session of the Security Council at which the representatives of all UN member states have been invited to express their opinions on the US-led invasion of Iraq.

The Security Council open session was the result of an initiative of the Arab League and the 166-member Non-Aligned Movement.

From Green Left Weekly, April 2, 2003.

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From GLW issue 532