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The Three Pillars

Thank you for participating in the Dialogue on Foreign Policy. The interactive web site is now closed. The Minister's report will appear on this web site once it is released.

This Forum is bilingual, and participants post messages in their language of choice.

Rule of law

Contributor: codc01

Date: 2003-05-01 06:02:36


We've been discussing this, in this forum for over a month now, and as Mr. Graham said its a very complex issue. I am also for the rule of law, and I'm sure Mr. Graham is also of this opinion, but he cannot say the invasion of Iraq was illegal publicly, because in diplomatic ways, this would be a direct attack on our major partner to the south (the US). Diplomacy is something very difficult to grasp, and only experts understand how it works (in my opinion).

Furthermore, even though i agree entirely with you on the rule of law (Only self-defence is allowed under the UN charter, or in special cases under the Uniting for Peace resolution of the general assembly, or if voted by the security council...), some people have other opinion.

The problem here is that several people (in this forum at least), and in other places, independently of any propaganda, are saying that liberty and democracy of people have higher priority than the rule of international law. So for them, it is possible to invade a country under dictatorship to free the people. This is where i disagree with these people, for me its not up to another country to intervene directly in the affairs of any country, if people of a country want freedom, it is up to them to do it (with maybe some *indirect* help of other countries).

Maybe you will never read this (the dialog stops today), but i just wanted to let you know what we discussed about here.

[The Dialogue stops at 12 midnight Pacific Daylight Time, so 3 am EDT - The comments will remain up for some time as an archive. The Minister will report on the Dialogue and his report will be posted on this web site. - Thanks The moderators.]

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