Iran Bolsters Itself with UN Resolution Condemning Sanctions
Iran Bolsters Itself with UN Resolution Condemning Sanctions, Legal Insurrection, Amy Miller, September 26, 2015
(Please see also, Iran Openly Declares That It Intends To Violate UNSCR 2231 That Endorses The JCPOA — DM)
I think we all know what Iran means when it speaks of political free will. In the wake of the adoption of the Iran nuclear deal, conversations about nightmare “what if” scenarios focused on America’s ability to “snap” sanctions against Iran back into place; now, Iran is trying to reframe the conversation about the use of sanctions by arguing that the use of sanctions at all will constitute a greater violation than what the sanctions are meant to punish.
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This week, Iran used its considerable muscle to launch an attack on US efforts to tamper its nuclear program and otherwise belligerent conduct in the Middle East. These efforts took the form of a proposed resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that condemns the use of sanctions against misbehaving nations as a violation of international law and fundamental human rights.
You won’t see the word “sanctions” more than three times in the resolution; instead, the drafters used the phrase “unilateral coercive measures.” From the proposed resolution:
Recognizing the universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated character of all human rights and, in this regard, reaffirming the right to development as a universal and inalienable right and an integral part of all human rights,
Expressing its grave concern at the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, development, international relations, trade, investment and cooperation,
Reaffirming that no State may use or encourage the use of any type of measure, including but not limited to economic or political measures, to coerce another State in order to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights and to secure from it advantages of any kind,
Recognizing that unilateral coercive measures in the form of economic sanctions have far-reaching implications for the human rights of the general population of targeted States, disproportionately affecting the poor and the most vulnerable classes,
…
Recalling also article 1, paragraph 2, common to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which provides that, inter alia, in no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence,1. Calls upon all States to stop adopting, maintaining or implementing unilateral coercive measures not in accordance with international law, international humanitarian law, the Charter of the United Nations and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States, in particular those of a coercive nature with extraterritorial effects, which create obstacles to trade relations among States, thus impeding the full realization of the rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments, in particular the right of individuals and peoples to development;
The writing goes on to demand that member states ignore calls for sanctions, and condemns the use of such “as tools of political or economic pressure against any country, particularly against developing countries, with a view to preventing these countries from exercising their right to decide, of their own free will, their own political, economic and social systems.”
I think we all know what Iran means when it speaks of political free will. In the wake of the adoption of the Iran nuclear deal, conversations about nightmare “what if” scenarios focused on America’s ability to “snap” sanctions against Iran back into place; now, Iran is trying to reframe the conversation about the use of sanctions by arguing that the use of sanctions at all will constitute a greater violation than what the sanctions are meant to punish.
This isn’t a one-off finger-in-the-air from Iran to the US. The UNHRC is a dysfunctional land of multilingual politicking, and now the most dangerous players are using their influence with the greater UN body to bolster the worst violators at the expense of what should be common sense.
More from UN Watch [emphasis mine]:
Earlier this year, the UNHRC’s infamous Consultative Group, with Saudi Arabia’s Faisal Trad then serving merely as Vice-President, successfully picked Algerian hardliner Idriss Jazairy — famous for his efforts as a former diplomat to enact a UNHRC “code of conduct” to intimidate independent human rights experts — as the new “Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures.”
Jazairy has already accused the U.S. and Europe of being leading human rights violators due to their use of sanctions against countries like Iran and Zimbabwe.
Indeed, many of the resolutions adopted at each session of the UNHRC are sponsored by Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Algeria, and other non-democracies, and are designed to demonize the West, free market economies, individual rights, or Israel, as part of a strategy to deflect attention from council members who are guilty of subjugating women, trampling religious freedom, persecuting gays, oppressing ethnic minorities and promoting relgious extremism.
This is clever, and part of a bigger strategy meant to counter American and Israeli efforts to speak out against the Iran nuclear deal. Even in the US, the media’s narrative has taken a subtle shift, away from the back and forth in Congress and toward an optic that frames the deal in terms of what it can do to encourage the advent of greater global cooperation. WaPo on Friday published an article needling the Republican Congress’ apparent rejection of “multilateralism”; meanwhile, the NYT editorial board executed a hard pivot away from the political theatre of the moment and toward What We Really Need to be Talking About© in terms of America’s participation in Gulf state politics.
The United Nations itself isn’t necessarily an important player in the American political conversation; international law is obscure, and multilateral relationships are [a] complication and confusing at best. However, if this resolution is adopted (and even if it isn’t) I can just about guarantee that the pro-Iran Deal crowd will use it as a weapon against anti-Deal candidates (primary season doesn’t go away just because we’re dealing with something happening in Geneva) currently warning their colleagues against the folly of attempting to deal with a nation that has proven itself more than adept at sidestepping the rules.
In this case, they’ve taken it upon themselves to rewrite them.
You can read the full proposed resolution here.
Explore posts in the same categories: Free world, Iran - sanctions relief, Iran scam, Iranian economy, Iranian nukes, Islamic nations, Middle East, Multiculturalism, P5+1, Rogue nations, Sanctions, UNHRC, United NationsTags: Free world, Iran - sanctions relief, Iran Scam, Iranian economy, Iranian nukes, Islamic nations, Middle East, Multiculturalism, P5+1, Rogue nations, Sanctions, UNHRC, United Nations
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WarSclerotic 
September 28, 2015 at 4:01 PM
To all the Pollyannas out there who think things are going to be just fine!!!
What Netanyahu wrought.
Op-Ed: Russian Arms: to Syria Today, Tomorrow to a “Demilitarized Palestine”
In the time it would take an Israeli tourist to finish an Israeli breakfast, Russia deployed close to a thousand Russian special operations soldiers to Syria. No UN resolution. No discussion. No nothing. “President” Assad, the genocidal mass-murderer of hundreds of thousands of Sunnis, merely “invited” the Russians to come, and they came.
The Russians came with mobile anti-aircraft missile batteries, various Russian special forces and nuclear submarines armed with enough nuclear bombs on the one submarine to incinerate the practically the entire world. If ever a terrorist Palestinian state is formed in the “West Bank”, any Palestinian terrorist president can, and will, just as easily invite the Russians into their new country within a day. Before Israel, or anyone will know it, Russians and their anti-aircraft missile batteries will line the Green Line. The moment that happens, start saying Kaddish for Israel.
What exactly are Israel and Netanyahu going to do the afternoon of the morning during which Russia slips a thousand Speznetz paratroops into the newly formed “West Bank Palestine”?
Far-fetched? Well, despite the accelerating proliferation of jihadi groups faster than you can say “Alluhu akbar,” and Obama’s cash infusion of 150 billion dollars into the Iran leading-state-sponsor-of-terror, Prime Minister Netanyahu is still talking about a “Palestinian State”. With European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed his commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu declared: “I support the vision of two states for two peoples – a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state,” he declared. (Whisky tango foxtrot?-ML)
Up to now, Abbas and Israel’s Frankenstein-like creation of the Palestinian Authority have violated every diplomatic “limitation” that the Palestinians “agreed to” in the Oslo Accords, or should I say Discords. They declared a state, raised the flag at the UN, filed with the ICC, unceasingly foment terror and violence – you name it, the PA has violated it. Israel throws a “we’re stopping the money” tantrum only to transfer the money they withheld a couple of months later.
What exactly are Israel and Netanyahu going to do the afternoon of the morning during which Russia slips a thousand Speznetz paratroops into the newly formed “West Bank Palestine”, and they deploy as a fait accompli tripwire force along the Green Line and in East Jerusalem? They won’t be able to do a thing.
Why will Russia want to deploy to “Palestine”? For starters, the Russians were crazy enough to want to deploy in Syria, where they risk the hatred of the entire Sunni Arab world and the loss of their troops to the Jihadi crazies. In Palestine, they will be seen as heroes to the entire Sunni Arab world, and don’t have to fear Israel will harm a single hair on the head of a single Russian soldier. If the Russians deployed to Syria where all logic defied a deployment, they surely will deploy to “Palestine”. Secondly, this way they insure an alliance with all the Sunni Arab countries even if the Russians are still friendly with Iran. Finally, the Russians will have created the beginnings of a firewall protecting Cyprus where they will own “Palestine” and control what remains if – as they hope – Israel is destroyed.
Abbas and the “West Bank Palestine” will want them to deploy to protect Abbas and his cronies from Hamas and all the other Jihadis who would otherwise wipe Abbas out of existence the moment Israel leaves the area. Abbas will be the protected baby of the nuclear-power UN-Veto-powered Russia. Abbas will have concluded the coup of history: Israel commits virtual suicide, America pays for it and loses all strategic value of Israel its military strategic fulcrum, and Russia looks like a hero to the Muslim world.
Maybe Israelis should start checking their non-Israeli passports. For, when the Russian-protected “Palestine” starts lobbing katyusha rockets into Tel Aviv and mortars into West Jerusalem, what is Israel going to do with thousands of Russian special forces lined along the Green Line and several nuclear submarines parked in the eastern Mediterranean? It will be game over for Israel.
Netanyahu’s delusional notions of a “demilitarized Palestinian State” are a greater immediate threat to Israel’s existence than the Obama-Iranian nuke deal. Until Israel publicly rids itself of the suicidal notion of a “demilitarized Palestinian state”, the greatest dangers to Israel are its own politicians.
As foretold….
September 28, 2015 at 5:08 PM
“Putin has begun a military buildup in ally Syria for reasons that U.S. officials have said remain unclear.”
Neville Netanyahu, by putting his head in the sand and allowing the barbarians to encircle Israel; has allowed the enemy from the North to enter. Once this is completed Netanyahu’s folly (as it will be know) will be complete!
September 28, 2015 at 5:09 PM
It is wrirren!
September 28, 2015 at 5:10 PM
It is written!
September 29, 2015 at 1:52 AM
You are correct JP
Its been mentioned on this site before that if the Israeli gov is to scared to take actions, and military actions againts Irans nuclear facilities to protect the future of Israel, then the citizens needed to start making public demonstrations to pressure the Israeli gov, and reassure Israeli gov that theyre supporting them, even if most of the world doesnt.
A lot of good bloggers and writers contribute to this Blog, its been suggested they dont waste theyre talents, they should unit and use those talents to write in the media, to network, organize demonstrations, and slowly build a small and then increase it to a big movement to stop the Iranian Nuclear program
Now they should use that talent to stop the cutting up of Israel and the creation of a muslim state on the PIECES of Israeli land, where there will be NO PEACE.
The world will protect the Iranian nuclear program, and all the muslim countries will get nuclear programs, and then Israel will not know where the Nuclear missiles, bombs, Nuclear Suicide Bombers will come from
And the Iron Dome and other Missile Interceptors can be defeated, if a hundreds or thousands of missiles are shot at them, then they will fail.
And Israel is such a tiny country, that out of the hundreds or thousands of missiles, only 2 – 3 are needed and Israel will be destroyed.
As Muslim gov dont care that half of their countries will be destroyed by Israeli counter strikes as long as they destroy Israel
Now the bloggers should use that talents to stop the cutting up of Israel and the creation of a muslim state on the PIECES of Israeli land, where there will be NO PEACE.
they should unit and use those talents to write in the media, to network, organize demonstrations, and slowly build a small and then increase it to a big movement to stop Destroying and Cutting Up Pieces of Israel to make a Very Dangerous Muslim country that always stated it wants to destroy Israel.
We hope its OK with JW that people should read the pamelageller.com and http://thereligionofpeace.com/ websites, to read what most of the media is not reporting about true actions of Majority of Muslims, Eventhough There Are A Minority of Good Muslims