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Resolution 678: Can I Buy A Yes?

         

          The United Nations, a noble international organization who tirelessly promote international law, economic aid and development and human rights causes. Established in 1945, it has gone from 51 to almost 200 member nations. The organization has touted many successes over the last 70 years, as stated on its website page 60 Ways the United Nations Makes A DIfference. Everything from health, to peace and security, human rights, social development to international law and humanitarian affairs is listed as the UN accomplishments. But sometimes the UN has to come down on non-member and even member nations with sanctions when they get out of line. Sometimes its fair, and sometimes its not. UN Security Council Resolution 678 was an instance where it may have been very unfair.

                Resolution 678 was the final UN Resolution regarding the Iraq invasion and occupation of neighboring country Kuwait. It was issued in November of 1990, and was preceded by 15 other resolutions dating back to August that year. Many of these resolutions demanded that Iraq withdraw from Kuwait (Resolution 664), condemned the invasion and occupation (Reolution 662) and eventually began cutting humanitarian aid and other sanctions on Iraq (Resolutions 665, 666, 670). Most, if not all of these resolutions were swiftly voted and approved by almost all member nations. Cuba and Yemen were the only two objectors to any of these. It was clear that Iraq was acting in aggression and the UN was trying to halt this. Finally as Iraq failed to heed any warnings by the US or UN, the United States decided they were going to invade, but they needed a UN approval to do so.  Getting other members to vote for sanctions and demand Iraq to leave Kuwait was easy, gaining support for an all out attack, not so much. The US and President George H.W. Bush were determined to pass this resolution, though.

                So how did the United States get its almost unilateral support for its Iraq war campaign? Money of course! Now, the UNSC is only comprised of 15 nations so the US didn’t need to get support from over 100, just enough to pass. While permanent members France and the United Kingdom were easy sells, members such as Colombia and Malaysia were not. In fact, they were quite opposed to it. In debating the draft Colombian Foreign Minister said “We wish, above all to appeal for peace and reflection…concerned as we are that any military confrontation would be a tragedy which we would regret for the rest of our lives.” To combat this, US Secretary of State James Baker pleaded with the Colombian President stating the Foreign Minister was “going crazy with these peace initiatives, and must be stopped.” (GlobalResearch.ca)  They also promised financial help and attention to nations such as Colombia, Ivory Coast and Ethiopia.(cite) For ailing Russia, the US negotiated a deal with Saudi Arabia to give them $1 billion in aid and for China, a White House reception! (NY Times)

                For those countries who remained steadfast in opposing the resolution? Well the United States claimed that “That will be the most expensive vote you ever cast,”  and immediately cut millions of dollars of aid to Yemen, Meanwhile Saudi Arabia expelled 800,000 Yemeni workers. (Stone & Kuznick)  Cuba was the only other to veto the resolution but since the US was in no relations with Cuba there was no further sanctions or embargoes.

                So if we have 15 members and 12 voted yes and 2 said no, with China abstaining from voting, that means that without the promise of aid, Colombia, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Zaire, Ivory Coast and Russia may have vetoed this. We know for sure Colombia and Malaysia would have. That takes it down to 10-4 and quite easily if aid had not been promised this bill may have only been passed but 6 or 7 nations, NOT enough for passage into effect. This could have changed history as the United States would have had to go against the UN and public opinion to attack Saddam Hussein and the Iraqis. Would the US have done so anyway?  It wouldn't have been the first time they went to was without the UN’s blessings. This represents what a terrible joke the UN can be with its almost 200 member nations yet only a few have any real power. UNSC Resolution is just another point in history that one wonders how things would have been different had the right thing been done.