Tag: United Nations

The Latest On Climate

The clock is ticking!

TICK TOCK

The UN has released its report on the condition of the planet with climate change…..not at all a glowing report…..

The new week begins with grim reading from a landmark UN report about the state of the planet. The 3,000-plus page assessment of the climate concludes that while things are bad now—witness the extreme weather unfolding around the globe—they are certain to get worse in the coming decade. However, the authors say it’s possible to stave off the most dire scenarios, essentially a planet unrecognizable from the one we know today, though only if nations take immediate steps to start reining in greenhouse gas emissions. Coverage:

  • The report: Read it here. Produced by the International Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it was written by more than 230 scientists and based on more than 14,000 studies. It’s a “code red for humanity,” says the UN, per the AP.
  • New rate: Extreme heat waves that used to hit once every 50 years now happen once a decade, say the authors, per Reuters. And that rate will almost certainly get worse. The same general trend applies to droughts and heavy rains.
  • The warming: The world has warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 19th century, and the authors say it is almost certainly too late to avoid reaching the Paris accord threshold of 1.5 degrees by 2040, reports the New York Times. At that mark, the world becomes an even more dangerous place, with more than 1 billion at risk from frequent heat waves.
  • Bleak quotes: “We can expect a significant jump in extreme weather over the next 20 or 30 years,” says Piers Forster of the University of Leeds, one of the authors. Another co-author, Linda Mearns of the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, tells the AP: “It’s just guaranteed that it’s going to get worse. I don’t see any area that is safe.”
  • Longer term: The report lays out five scenarios, and in three of them, the world surpasses 2 degrees Celsius warming by mid-century. On these tracks, it’s possible the mark could surpass 3 or even 4 degrees. In the rosiest scenario, an immediate shift away from fossil fuels would enable the rise to level off at about 1.5 degrees.
  • One forecast: A rise of 2 degrees “could trigger the inexorable collapse of the Greenland ice sheet and more than six feet of sea-level rise that could swamp coastal communities,” per the Washington Post. “Coral reefs would virtually disappear.”
  • Blame: The report says it’s “unequivocal” that human behavior has warmed the planet. As for current events: “Extreme events, heat waves, droughts, heavy precipitation: When we see these things in the news, they really are a result of climate change and the science is really able to detect that,” says co-author Jessica Tierney, of the University of Arizona, per Quartz. “You can always get an extreme flood or drought by chance, but now we can show that the chances of some of these events happening would have been almost nil.”

The planet is burning and the best we can do is ignore the coming problems.

Time is running out!

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Not With US Help

For ten days Israel has been punishing Gaza’s civilians for the actions of Hamas…..and the US has called for ceasefire….most of that is rhetoric and means nothing….just a way to calm the protests and cover Israel’s ass for them (something we do constantly).

***A ceasefire after 11 days is holding but it is a very shaky cease***

The US has never been serious about a solution that is beneficial to both sides…..not since the 1970s that is…..and it is NOT serious today.

Why would I say this?

…

more than 300 American lawmakers publicly pledged their unconditional loyalty to a foreign power.

In a letter to the chair and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, the members of Congress cautioned against “reducing funding or adding conditions on” US welfare checks (totaling $3.8 billion annually) to Israel.

The letter name-checks US President Joe Biden, who, nearly a year ago tried to have it both ways — decrying Israeli annexation of Palestinian land and the eviction of Palestinian residents to make room for Israeli squatters (“settlers”), while likewise volubly assuring Jewish campaign donors, “I’m not going to place conditions on security assistance.”

Now Biden and members of Congress from both sides of the partisan aisle feign surprise and dismay as the Israeli regime once again makes war on the populations of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip.

What the heck did they expect?

Peace in Palestine? Not if American Politicians Can Help It

But as they (whoever “they” are) actions speak louder than words…..

The UN Security Council was considering a statement condemning the violence in Gaza, which has left hundreds of Palestinians dead including dozens of women and children, and calling for a ceasefire—but the US blocked it Monday, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to Al Jazeera, that’s the third time in a week US opposition to such a statement has prevented one from being released. The council held an emergency virtual meeting to discuss the crisis, and China, which holds the rotating presidency of the council for the month of May, drafted the statement late Sunday. After it was blocked by the US, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters, “We urge the US to shoulder its fair share of responsibilities, take a just stance, and work with the majority of the international community to support the Security Council.”

 
Times of Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken became the first US official to call for a ceasefire late Sunday. The draft UN statement, obtained by the Times, “expressed [the council’s] grave concern regarding the crisis related to Gaza and the loss of civilian lives and casualties, and called for de-escalation of the situation, cessation of violence and respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians, especially children.” On Monday afternoon, Israel’s defense minister thanked the US for blocking it, the Independent
Another reason there should be NO ONE country that can veto the will of the UN….plus there should be NO permanent members on the Security Council….that in NO way promotes democracy and that was the original intent for the UN.
 
If there is to be a peace then do not look to the US for leadership….we are too busy stroking the scrotum of BiBi.
 
While we snuggle up to Israel innocent civilians continue to die in the name of self-defense.
 
Keep in mind that Israel buys US weapons with US taxpayer dollars….

On May 5, Hamas commander Mohammed Deif issued a warning to Israel’s government: Unless Israeli police and troops stopped attacking Palestinians in Jerusalem — including not just those protesting against the regime’s theft of their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood on behalf of Israeli “settlers,” but also worshipers at al-Aqsa mosque, one of Islam’s most sacred sites — rockets would fly.

On the same day, the Biden administration notified Congress of its approval for Boeing’s sale of $735 worth of Joint Direct Attack Munitions to the Israeli regime.

When Israel’s Regime Buys US Weapons, It Buys Them With Your Money

 
Ask yourself this….if the Biden group condemns the Saudis action in Yemen…why not Gaza?
 
What part of killing civilians is acceptable?   Any civilian.
 
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Embargo–Going–Going–Gone

After thirteen years the UN’s arms embargo placed on Iran has now run its course and is gone….

As you would expect the warmonger-in-chief Pompeo is thumping his chest like some crazed primate….even to the point of issuing threats…..

After months of US opposition, the Iran arms embargo at the UN has expired, and despite the US opposition, UN officials are uniform in agreement that it actually has expired. Don’t tell that to the Trump Administration though, as they insist it’s still in place.

Reflecting US promises to enforce the non-existent embargo themselves, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened to impose US sanctions on any nations that sell arms to Iran, or offer them training or services.

That’s been the US position since they failed to extend the embargo, but it’s not clear it will actually do anything, as the nations most likely to provide Iran with arms and services, Russia and China, will almost certainly ignore US threats the same way they do on everything else Iran-related.

Iranian officials don’t expect a huge rush to buy arms anyhow, as a decade of embargos has made them self-sufficient in a lot of things. Still, Russia and China can offer some better versions of equipment, or at a better price than Iran can make them themselves, and there is no real legal obstacle to that anymore.

The fact that the US opposes, or indeed “forbids” such sales is likely to ensure that some happen just to spite them, with Russia in particular very clear that they intended to make sales to Iran once the legal restriction was lifted.

(antiwar.com)

Parties should weigh what this cessation would mean….

European governments should carefully weigh the risks that come with the expiration of the UN arms embargo. Given the ongoing Western military support to regional partners, and the growing alignment between Israel and the Arab world, the expiration of the embargo is unlikely to alter the balance of power in the Middle East in the short term. The pragmatic way to address these concerns is by reaching side agreements with Russia and China over the timing and scope of such arms sales to Iran, in ways that prevent a rise in tension in the Middle East.

No doubt, Moscow and Beijing will sign arms deals with Tehran – and perhaps even major ones, such as those involving the Russian S-400 missile defence system, which Iran is eager to acquire. Tehran may also seek to sign deals for battle tanks, fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles, and anti-radar missile systems – which can target surface-to-air defence systems, thereby putting the forces of the US and its allies at greater risk in the Middle East. However, given precedent and a series of political and economic restraints, it is unclear whether these deals would result in delivery in the near future.

Do not expect a rush of arms sales to Iran

Now that the embargo has expired….Iran is looking at incoming cash from arms sales…..

Iran on Monday said it is more inclined to sell weapons rather than buy them, after it announced the end of a longstanding UN conventional arms embargo.

Tehran said the ban imposed more than a decade ago was lifted “automatically” as of Sunday, based on the terms of a 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, from which the Islamic republic’s arch-enemy the United States has withdrawn.

“Before being a buyer in the arms market, Iran has the ability to supply” other countries, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters.

Iran Says Will Sell More Arms Than Buy After Embargo Lifted

Will this make a difference in the Middle East say?

Will this put the brakes on troop withdrawals?

Any thought?

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US Wants A “Snapback” On Iran

Trump and his idiots in the State Department has gone to the UN and demanded a ‘snapback’ on sanctions against Iran……apparently the US is trying to get some movement in the covert conflict with Iran.

President Trump has demanded the reimposition of ‘snapback’ sanctions on Iran as part of the P5+1 nuclear deal, and revealed the US will go to the UN Security Council on Thursday to demand full imposition of all those sanctions without objection.

Within the nuclear deal, there is a clause that allows the US to snapback all sanctions if they believe Iran is failing in the deal. The clause also says no members of the deal can veto the measure. This is the plan the US is resting on.

And yet President Trump withdrew from the deal in May 2018, and had failed to live up to requirements before then. This raises serious doubts that the US can impose ‘snapback’ under the terms of a deal that they are no longer party to, or whether nations like China and Russia would be compelled not to veto it.

The Trump Administration has argued that because the United States was party to the deal once, they’re still sort of in the deal now, and can therefore take advantage of any rights they’d had then, even if they long ago left the deal.This interpretation suggests that the US never really had to comply with the deal in the first place, and once it got its name in the original text it had immutable rights, even acting in bad faith.

(antiwar.com)

A “Snapback”?

Just what the Hell does that mean?

The United States will initiate a controversial procedure called “snapback” at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday in a bid to unilaterally reimpose sanctions on Iran.

AFP answers key questions surrounding the unprecedented legal measure, which America’s European allies oppose and which threatens the Iranian nuclear deal.

What’s the ‘snapback’ clause? –

Then-president Barack Obama’s administration boasted of having obtained a clause in the agreement that would allow it to reimpose, or “snapback,” all sanctions if Iran failed to comply with the agreement.

The clause permitted a “snapback” without members being allowed to veto. American officials worried at the time that China or Russia may veto any attempt to reimpose sanctions.

According to resolution 2231, any state “participating” in the agreement can lodge a complaint with the Security Council if they deem another participant has significantly failed to respect the accord.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/snapback-us-iran-sanctions-move-233933977.html

Really?

Early in the Trump administration stated that it would NOT be held to any of the sections of the nuke deal and that it would NOT participate in it in any way.

And yet they, Trump and the Pompeo goons, want to use part of the deal that they said they would not participate in…..

This what your mother meant when she said “have your cake and eat it to”?

I think the UN will chuckle at Trump and move on without him or the idiot Pompeo.

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Closing Thought–20Apr20

I have written many times that I am as staunch antiwar person….we have been at war since 1941….in one form or the other……there have been some momentary lulls but they were not long lasting…..and now the world is still at war……and it is fighting the Covid-19 virus as well.

The last time I wrote about this was…..https://lobotero.com/2020/04/17/war-whats-it-good-for-3/

The UN came up with an idea….a ceasefire during the fight for health…..(a damn good idea in my opinion)…..but I am alone in that opinion…..and who do you think would crap on the idea of a ceasefire? If you guessed the US then you get the lollipop.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to create a global crisis of generational proportions, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is pushing a broad measure to declare a global ceasefire among all nations, allowing the world to focus on fighting the virus instead of one another.

The proposal has got a lot of interest internationally, but is falling just short of going into effect, with the United States and Russia both insisting they wouldn’t consider themselves bound by any such ceasefire for their wars.

The US is complaining that the ceasefire would hinder their wars against ISIS and other groups that they believe are hostile to US interests. Given the number of US wars around the world, that’s a substantial number of conflicts. Among primary interests is the US ability to attack Iraqi militias in the near future.

Its not just America’s many wars that America believes would be at stake, but also Israel’s intermittent attacks on Syria and other nations, with US objections including that no ceasefire can be allowed to inhibit Israel’s ability to launch unilateral attacks.

Russia’s complaints were similar but more narrow, focused on wanting to keep their military activities in Syria ongoing, and not wanting the international ceasefire to get in the way of Libya’s Civil War, in which Russia is supported Gen. Hafter’s forces.

In general, it can be expected that neither Russia or the US will go along with this unless the other agrees first. The support among other global powers is more promising, with France advocating the ceasefire outspokenly. China seems on board as well, though they balked at an initial version of the resolution when the US wanted to call coronavirus the “Wuhan Virus,” implying China is to blame.

Ceasefire support in Colombia, Sudan, Yemen, and the Philippines has seen some agreement and unilateral announcements, and the UN remains hopeful. Without the US and Russia, however, it will be difficult for it to become a global movement.

(antiwar.com)

The US and Russia do not want peace…..sounds like the years of the Cold War all over again…..

All I am saying is “Give Peace a Chance”……(John Lennon)

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More On North Korea

The war of words and insult has erupted again between Kim and Trump……my recent post on NK…..https://lobotero.com/2019/12/09/north-korea-us-the-way-it-has-always-been/

We all have heard and some of the bloggers keep repeating the humanitarian horror stories about life within the borders of NK…..and yet the US went to the UN to block needed legislation…..

While the US was initially one of the countries that wanted a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea’s human rights situation, the Trump Administration has changed its mind, and is now refusing to sign the authorization, effectively blocking the meeting.

Officials are not saying why they decided to block the UN meeting, but North Korea warned last week that they would view the meeting as a “provocation,” and this gives the appearance that the US is trying to keep them placated.

The State Department took their comments a different way, saying they still support a meeting that would be a comprehensive review of North Korea’s missile firing since May, even though President Trump has long insisted he didn’t object to those tests. That meeting is set for Wednesday.

The State Department is suggesting that recent missile launches were an “escalatory DPRK provocation,” and it seems either way the US is going to use a UN Security Council meeting to rail against North Korea.

Though some speculated blocking the human rights meeting was a sign that the US had not given up on nuclear talks, they seem to be continuing to avoid negotiating directly with North Korea.

(antiwar.com)

This action the US is why I say for the world to come into the 21st century we need to abolish the permanent status of the 5 major powers on the UNSC…….of which the US is one.

Not to worry this is not the last report you will read the US “special” relationship that Trump has with Kim.

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United Nations For The 21st Century

This week has been the annual meetings of the world leaders at the General Assembly….and as usual was full of drama and theatrics.

I admit it…I am not as gung-ho as I use to be about the United Nations (UN)……what started off as a great idea and the elimination of the necessity for war has become a joke among international analysts (me included).

I have tried to explain the reason why the UN seems ineffectual…..https://lobotero.com/2015/06/30/why-hate-the-united-nations-un/

I read a lot of papers trying to keep up to date since I left the international relations field…..and this one is a paper about the limitations and capabilities of the UN in conflict management……

A plethora of contemporary challenges have exposed the UN to criticism in its ability to evolve with changes in geopolitics, most notably the organization’s responsive rather than reactive approach to confronting international crises and the rise in nations disinterested in international consensus building. “The protection of civilians, the threat of violent extremism… and the dilemmas of state building” have presented obstacles that have forced both the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the UNSC to reevaluate their ability to comprehensively address today’s global challenges.[8] However, the primary obstacle threatening the capacity of the UN remains “how to deal with conflicts – be they between or within states – without offending the national sovereignty of its member states”.[9] Additionally, the UNSC remains controversial for its lack of global representation amongst the P-5 members with the ability to veto vital resolutions brought before the body. Given that the organization “remains largely unchanged since its founding in 1946”, debate regarding “its efficacy and authority as a mediator on matters of international security” is ongoing and increasingly prevalent in light of presently deteriorating modern conflicts.[10] With the determination of the P-5 having been structured in the aftermath of World War II, critics note that the current authority of the body disproportionately favors the positions of the permanent members, thus hindering the UNSC’s ability to distance itself from the sovereign interests of states when attempting to combat international security risks. Respective geopolitical aims of hegemons are evident in the present stalemate in the UNSC between Russia and the United States, with the veto power granted to permanent members constraining “the Council from engaging in the resolution of civil wars within their borders and in areas of perceived vital interest”.[11] Evidently, there is a disconnect between present threats to international security and the capacity for entities such as the UNSC to effectively mediate and mitigate conflict. The archaic structure of the UN and its entities makes it unable to address transitions in conflict that have complicated the need for resolution vis-à-vis mediation between nation states.

The Limitations and Capabilities of the United Nations in Modern Conflict

I think there is a place for the UN in the management and resolutions of conflict but to do so there would need to be a change…..for one get rid of the permanent members of the Security Council…those members have done NOTHING to make the world a safer place.

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More Middle East Chest Thumping

In speeches to the UN both Trump and the Saudis did what these two peacocks do…..macho BS….

Trump what Trump does…..blah….blah…blah…. Trump again blamed Tehran for the recent attack on Saudi Arabia. “All nations have a duty to act—no responsible government should subsidize Iran’s bloodlust,” he said, while pledging to ratchet up sanctions if Iran remained aggressive……blah….blah…blah….

Then the Saudis had to chest thump as well….as if to follow instruction….

While President Trump has said that the US is not interested in a war with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, took to a UN meeting to suggest that US military options are still being considered.

While it seems a bit presumptive for the Saudi FM to decide to speak to US policy, his comments that US patience is “not inexhaustible” seems to be directed both at threatening Iran, and at trying to get the rest of the world on board with the conflict.

Al-Jubeir says that the UN report on the attack will be available soon, and that there is a whole list of options, including military options, still being considered, with him wanting to mobilize international support for what is to come.

(antiwar.com)

“The US is not interested in a war”….does anyone truly believe that bullsh*t?

The Saudis talk tough but would they really do the heavy lifting for the US?

I do not think they would do anything but rather find a proxy so their hands are “clean”…..

here is a longstanding joke told in the Middle East about Saudi Arabia’s reluctance to fight its own wars. “Saudi Arabia will fight until the last Pakistani,” the punchline goes, in reference to the fact that Pakistani troops have long supported Saudi’s military endeavours.

The punchline has expanded lately to include the Sudanese, a recent addition to the Saudi army’s ground troops. Saudi Arabia is accustomed to buying labour that it deems too menial for its citizens, and it extends that philosophy to its army.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/22/saudi-arabia-iran-us-middle-east-saudis

Proxy wars…kinda sounds like the old Cold War, huh?

How did the US get dragged into the middle of this mash up?

A great question and watch for the answer in a post to come.

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Trump Speaks At The UN

That is what Trump does….He Speaks…..

This time his his speech to the UN General Council…..these are his words of wisdom(?)…….

These are the major points of his rambling talk…..

President Trump addressed the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, touching on topics including Iran, the trade war with China, his disdain of globalism, and border security. Highlights from sources including the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, and USA Today:

  • Nationalism: Trump said other nations must respect American sovereignty, and he said all nations should put their own citizens first. “The future does not belong to globalists,” he said. “The future belongs to patriots.” And in one of his takeaway lines: “If you want freedom, take pride in your country. If you want democracy, hold on to your sovereignty. If you want peace, love your nation.”
  • Iran: Trump again blamed Tehran for the recent attack on Saudi Arabia. “All nations have a duty to act—no responsible government should subsidize Iran’s bloodlust,” he said, while pledging to ratchet up sanctions if Iran remained aggressive.
  • Border controversy: “Today, I have a message for those open border activists who cloak themselves in the rhetoric of social justice: Your policies are not just, your policies are cruel and evil.” Trump accused them of “empowering criminal organizations that prey on innocent men, women and children,” and he said undermining border security is tantamount to “undermining human rights and human dignity.”
  • China: He accused Beijing of “gaming” world trade and the World Trade Organization of giving preferential treatment to China. He called on the world community to pressure Beijing into fairer trade policies. “For years these abuses were tolerated, ignored, or even encouraged,” he said. “Our goal is simple: we want balanced trade that is both fair and reciprocal.” Trump also called on China to “honor its binding treaty… to protect Hong Kong’s freedom, legal system and democratic ways of life.”

On Iran he thumped his chest……on the border he still hangs with all are criminals seeking tom join gangs and rob white Americans…..only thing on China that was interesting that he told China to respect democracy and yet turns blind eye elsewhere like the Occupied Territories….finally once again a call for more “nationalism” that sounds all too familiar.

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Closing Thought–21Mar19

Another moment in history when Americans can be proud (that is sarcasm)…….

The United States says it was one of three countries to vote against a U.N. resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism over freedom of speech issues and concerns that Russia was using it to carry out political attacks against its neighbors. 

The resolution entitled “Combating glorification of Nazism, Neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,” was approved by the U.N.’s human rights committee on Friday with 131 in favor, 3 against with 48 abstentions. 

Ukraine and Palau were the other no votes.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-votes-against-anti-nazi-resolution-at-united-nations/

This is a sickening moment for me……I am ashamed of this country’s leaders that would allow this vote…..