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Old World and New World Disregard Security Council
Category: National Security
Monday, April 7, 2008
In 2003, European leaders sharply criticized the U.S.-led overthrow of Saddam’s regime, arguing that such action could only be legitimate if authorized by a Security Council Resolution. Five years later, European Union members have similarly ignored the Security Council by recognizing the independence of Kosovo.
According to UN Resolution 1244, the status of Kosovo could be changed, provided that prior Security Council approval was granted. Arguments in favor of and opposed to independence were to be heard by the Council, which would reach a conclusive decision regarding the territory’s political status. However, with the likelihood of a Russian or Chinese veto, no draft resolution for independence was submitted. Instead, European states acted as they did during the 1999 air campaign against Serbia, without Security Council authorization.
According to Ambassador John Bolton, this is nothing new. In a recent San Diego Union-Tribune op-ed, he argues that “the question of Kosovo, today as in 1999, cannot be resolved satisfactorily to major European powers by Security Council decisions.” European Union states have weighed the political costs and benefits of recognizing Kosovo’s independence and acted according to their best interests. As was the case for the U.S. in 2003, Europe has ignored the Council in favor of its security priorities. “All that I and many other Americans ask is that, in the future, Europeans not criticize the United States when we do exactly the same thing.”
A JOINT PROGRAM OF
