America has come under a lot of flak in recent weeks for trying to halt the Assad regime in Syria but surely the criticism should be aimed at the United Nations.
Like most people I have no wish to see the US and Britain embroiled in another long-winded overseas conflict. Memories of Iraq are still fresh in everyone’s mind.
But the world really can’t just stand back and watch a regime subject anyone, let alone children, to a chemical weapons attack (Assad denies it I know, but all credible, independent observers point the finger straight at him).
Many have attacked the US for trying to be the world’s policeman but what choice does it have when the UN is such an incompetent organisation?
Since May 2011 Assad has been opening fire on his own people. Meanwhile the UN Security Council has dithered.
If other nations don’t want the US to be the world’s policeman they should do more to beef up the UN. It is supposed to work to protect democracy and world peace but more often than not gets bogged down in bureaucratic wrangling. Tens of thousands of innocent Syrian people have died while the UN tries to decide what, if anything, it should do.
The latest plan, in a bid to avoid air strikes, will see Syria ordered to hand over its chemical weapons. Let’s hope it works.
As I said earlier, I have no wish to send our troops into another conflict overseas. But, if such a move is needed as a last resort, then I think we must stand beside the US. They are after all our primary allies.
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