Bush Calls for UN Action on Syria

President Bush has called for an emergency session of the United Nations to deal with Syria’s involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

CNN.com – Bush calls for immediate U.N. session on Syria (AP)

President George W. Bush on Friday called on the United Nations to convene a session as soon as possible to deal with a U.N. investigative report implicating Syrian officials in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. “The report strongly suggests that the politically motivated assassination could not have taken place without Syrian involvement,” Bush said after helping dedicate a new pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Southern California.

I wouldn’t hold my breath for serious action from the UN, a near oxymoron. One would think, too, this a matter for the Security Council rather than the General Assembly.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. All the same, good for Bush, showing balls in the international community in spite of the political sh*tstorm at home (of his own making?).

    I predict little hand-slapping, and some resolution that will have anti-Israel, anti-American overtones.

  2. RA says:

    Good for Bush. This is the first step in the little dance that will end with cruise missles landing in Damascus. Maybe then they will stop aiding the terrorists in Iraq.

  3. legion says:

    Well, it’s amazing enough that the UN’s report actually said nasty things about someone, rather than just burying them in diplomacy (you’re soaking in it!).

    As for Bush’s call for the UN to now do something about it (aside from the chuckling irony), it has an ominous cast… North Korea (and other bad actors in the world) know they can pretty much do whatever they want, ’cause we can’t send our military there anytime soon to break things. But Syria is close enough to Iraq that, as the mafiosi say, Something Bad could happen to them…

  4. We’ve checked off another box. At least I hope that’s the administration’s motive for doing this.

  5. Herb says:

    Between the do nothing UN, the do nothing bureaucrats in the state department, and the pacifisist here in the US, nothing will ever come of this except a lot of BS.

    The Surians are long overdue for a few well placed Cruise Missles to let them know that enough of their BS is enough.

    On the other hand, the Syrians know full well that if the US does anything, the Cindy Sheehans of this country will defend everything Syria wants to do and kill all the US Troops they want.

    And, the Democrats will launch another Hate Bush campaign about anything Bush does.

  6. exdem13 says:

    Ah, now I know what the UN will do about Syria.

    Same thing it always does, get the USA to do the dirty work, then criticize USA for nastiness and congratulate themselves on their efforts for world peace.

  7. DL says:

    Could this really be all about a message to Iran? Syria doesn’t have a nuke program going a mile a minute. If unstabilized Syria is attacked (even a few Bill Clinton type missiles)Iran will have to realize they’re next. Who really knows?