TJP

Sovereignty: The Iraq Precedence

By Byron A. Ellis-August 11, 2008

It is interesting to hear Western leaders proclaiming the recognition of Georgia’s sovereignty. However, many of those leaders failed to proclaim the sovereignty of Iraq.

McCain, for instance, did not see Iraq as a sovereign nation, but now says, “For many years, I have warned against Russian actions that undermine the sovereignty of its neighbors.”

On what moral ground can the West confronts Russia, when the West violated the sovereignty of Iraq and that of other sovereign nations.

For the West, it is about do as I say and not as I do. For instance, the West threatens to preemptively attack Iran. Where is the sovereignty of Iran?

The hypocrisy is so transparent.

Russia understands that the West’s respect for sovereignty is an empty promise. And, they are applying the West’s Iraq strategy to Georgia.

We’ve seen Western disregard to sovereignty in Nicaragua, Granada, Panama, Lebanon and elsewhere.

However, Russia should not follow Western hypocrisy; it should use diplomatic means to solve conflicts. The same is applicable to Georgia who used force against the breakaway province of South Ossetia.

Russia’s action should, indeed, be condemned. Nonetheless, it is important to understand that Russia does not stand alone in violating sovereign nations.

Thus, the West should not be so quick to condemn Russia. An evenhanded Western response would first condemn self, and Georgia for using force against the breakaway province. But, of course the West is seldom evenhanded.

Georgian citizens know that their president Mikhail Saakashvili made a grave mistake and that it was not as he said an unprovoked Russian attack. The Russian attack was provoked by the Georgian invasion of South Ossetia.

The West applauded and supported the breakaway of Kosovo from Serbia. What is the difference between the breakaway of South Ossetia from Georgia?

If it is good for Kosovo to breakaway from Serbia, why isn’t good for South Ossetia to breakaway from Georgia?

Is it because Serbia is aligned with Russia and Georgia with the West?

Friendship with the West or with the East should not be the standard for independence. There should be an internationally accepted standard that accounts for mistreatment of the region seeking independence from the host country and third parties should be able to validate such mistreatment. Moreover, the host country should be given time, say 12 months, to remedy the mistreatment.

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