Pete <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I'm prepared to tolerate a brief digression. I wouldn't want to see
> it turn into a month long debate, though. ...
I agree with that. I'm only doing this because of the immediate
crisis situation.
> ... My only reticence about it
> is I feel it's probably too late to be used effectively in Kosovo,
> as at this point it would just look like NATO backing up another
> step and drawing another line in the sand after the Serbs have stepped
> over the twenty or so drawn before.
That's a very good point. It would have to be handled carefully, perhaps
by admitting a strong reluctance to using military action -- this ultimatum
would have the advantage that it will be very easy to implement the
threatened action -- recognizing Kosovo -- much easier than anything
military.
> ... As a principle for dealing with
> military responses to national aspirations, I think it has great merit,
> though I would suggest that many nations might fear that the support
> of it would be against the interests of their own territorial
> integrity. ...
That's another good point, and a potential problem, especially as it
has an obvious application to Russian in Chechnya and for China in
Tibet. Both Russia and China have a veto on the UN Security Council,
so that could be a big problem. But I think it's worth trying in
other venues first, in an effort to get the principle accepted. I think
the key would be getting it accepted by the community of international
law experts, so I'm trying to sign up for one of their mailing lists
where I might be able to argue for it.
> Knowing how world consensus proceeds, I expect it would take several
> years for this concept to gain acceptance, but I suspect it would
> find some champions immediately. ...
I'd like to think that Canada could accept the principle and argue for
it internationally, but I'm afraid that even the remotest possibility
of it applying to Quebec would be enough to scare off Canadian politicians.
I hope that Canada would never consider military action against Quebec,
but some politicians may like to hold that option in reserve or for
use as a threat. So I think that this is more likely to appeal to
nations which have no minority enclaves, Scandinavian countries, perhaps.
Thanks very much for your comments, Pete. You've done wonders for my
morale.
dpw
Douglas P. Wilson [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.island.net/~dpwilson/index.html
http://www.SocialTechnology.org/index.html
