December 1, 2002
THEN DO IT YOURSELVES:
Asia 'outraged' at Howard's terror call (CNN, December 1, 2002)Asian countries have reacted with outrage to calls from Australia's prime minister for pre-emptive action against terrorists operating in Southeast Asia.Howard said on Australian television Sunday that the U.N. Charter should be changed so it could be used against any threat, conventional or terrorist.
Indonesia is warning against Prime Minister John Howard following through on his call, saying that Australia has no right to take military action in other countries.
"Fortunately, states cannot willy-nilly flout international law and norms. We have to work within the system," Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Marti Natalegawa told The Associated Press. [...]
Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said governments must work together rather than one country acting unilaterally.
"It's not wise and it doesn't follow ... the doctrine of peacekeeping and sovereignty," he said. "Sovereignty is not decided by fight, it's decided by right."
Australia's military is one of the most powerful in the region.
What color is the sky in Mr. Golez's world? When it comes to sovereignty, might and fight make "right". Posted by Orrin Judd at December 1, 2002 7:13 AM
Mr. Howard is voicing the international law of the future. As technologies of mass destruction come more and more into the reach of private actors, each nation must assume the responsibility of policing its domestic citizens who may be contemplating violence against foreigners. If they do not police their own citizens, then the threatened foreign nations must have the right to police the killers themselves.
Posted by: pj at December 1, 2002 9:09 PM