US, Britain creating chaos: Mandela
LONDON: Former South African President Nelson Mandela, berating the United
States and Britain for their handling of conflicts in Iraq and Kosovo, said
they are creating international chaos by ignoring the views of other
nations.
Mandela, in an interview in Wednesday's edition of The Guardian, said the
United States and Britain were wrong not to seek explicit permission for
military action from the U.N. Security Council.
"The message they're sending is that any country which fears a veto (from
the U.N.) can take unilateral action," Mandela was quoted as saying. "That
means they're introducing chaos into international affairs: that any country
can take a decision which it wants."
"I am resentful about the type of thing that America and Britain are doing.
They want now to be the policemen of the world and I'm sorry that Britain
has joined the U.S. in this regard," Mandela said.
"It's a totally wrong attitude. They must persuade those countries like
China or Russia who threaten to veto their decisions at the U.N.. They must
sit down and talk to them. They can't just ignore them and start their own
actions."
France, Russia and China - and also U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan -
were among those most critical of NATO for not seeking explicit approval
from
the U.N. Security Council before its 78-day air campaign against Belgrade.
But there was also a wide consensus that the swift NATO action was necessary
to avert a humanitarian disaster.
The issue also came up when the United States and Britain were accused of
unilaterally going ahead with bombing Iraq in 1998 after the failure of U.N.
arms inspections.
Mandela, on a private visit to Britain and Ireland, said American policy
toward the United Nations is increasingly perceived as being
racially-motivated.
"The U.S. did not do this when the secretary-general of the U.N. was white.
They are doing it now, ignoring the U.N. under Kofi Annan," he said. "And
there are many people who are whispering that it is because the
secretary-general is black. That perception is disturbing."
Turning to African issues, Mandela said the foreign armies involved in
Congo's civil war must honor a pledge and withdraw their troops, or risk
reducing the country "to ashes." He said the United Nations will not
consider sending peacekeepers to Congo until the violence has completely
halted.
He was also confident of a brighter future for war-stricken Burundi where he
is leading peace talks: "A breakthrough is in the offing," he said.
Mandela, 81, is frequently sought out as a mediator, but is now turning down
invitations. "Three other countries have asked me to sort out their
problems," he said. "But I'm not going to do so." (AP)
For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
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