How Russia views the veto power

Posted By David Bosco Friday, February 3, 2012 - 7:52 AM Share

The indomitable Inner City Press gets Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin to wax philosophical about the veto power:

I hope people understand, some of them argue with all due respect without realizing the consequences for their own national interest for stripping us of the veto powers. When they find themselves in a hot spot without anyone being able to exercise the veto, they will come to regret it. Things happen.

Read the whole thing here.

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JOHNBOY4546

11:46 PM ET

February 4, 2012

Hmmmmm.

He is saying that without the Russian veto all those Arab leaders who are supporting this resolution may eventually end up with NATO-launched cruise missiles up their backside.

After all, without that veto the USA can do to *them* what it wants to do to Syria.

And what it wants to do to Syria is what it did to Libya i.e. launch cruise missile after cruise missile until the regime falls.

DELTA22

8:13 PM ET

February 5, 2012

So he's justifying it by saying he's protecting the rights of the Alawite minority? I don't find that persuasive. The Alawites may be the minority, but right now they're the ones who have power and are abusing it. Saying that the Alawites are the ones that need protecting is like arguing that slavery needs to continue in order so that slaves won't try to wreak vengeance on their masters.

JOHNBOY4546

5:26 AM ET

February 6, 2012

No, he isn't.

"So he's justifying it by saying he's protecting the rights of the Alawite minority?"

No, he's telling the other Arab countries that if *they* support this sort of outside interference then *they* might just find themselves waking up one day to be looking down the barrel of Yet Another Happy NATO Bombing Campaign.

After all, the west has set a precedent with Libya. Now it wants to use Syria to turn that precendent into a new NORM of international interference in Arab affairs.

That the member states of the Arab League appear not to have clicked to this is, honestly, astounding.

Certainly the Russians have noticed, and it is trying oh-so-politely to tell those Arab countries that they are f**king crazy to be supporting this sort of nonsense in the UNSC.