Myrdal Article

According to the speech, made by its president in the evening of the 17th of March, 2003, the United States is planning to wage an armed attack against Iraq within a few days. The purpose of this attack is, according to the words of the president, to remove the Iraqi head of state and to occupy the country.

Such a war of aggression constitutes a violation of International Law. Further, it stands in open contradiction to the main principles of The United Nations as formulated in its constitution of the 26th of June, 1945 (specifically, it constitutes a violation of Chapter I, article 2, paragraph 4 and 7). Should the United States commence this war its state leadership will be committing a crime against peace.

This war, announced by President Bush, in order to enforce a change of regime in Iraq, could not – not even applying the most diabolic diplomatic advocacy - be represented as being in agreement with previous resolutions on the disarmament of Iraq, taken by the Security Council. This is the reason why the United States has failed to gain the support to the war from a majority of the Security Council. The majority of the Security Council, the permanent members France, China and Russia inclusive, has recommended that the arms inspectors should continue to fulfil their task. In this respect the majority of the Security Council is enjoying the support of the overwhelming majority of the member states of the United Nations.

In this situation the Swedish government may be in the position to take a necessary initiative. Sweden might make use of the respect it is enjoying in large parts of the so called Third world from its long tradition of a politics of non-alliance, as well as of the good relations Sweden as a state is maintaining with permanent members of the Security Council, such as France, China and Russia.

The Swedish government should instruct its representative in the United Nations, Ambassador Pierre Schori, to address the members of the Security Council, demanding that they resolve to stop this action by the United States and, in case the acts of war have already commenced, to resolve that the United States (and Great Britain plus, possibly, other states) should cease all acts of war immediately, withdrawing their armed forces. Should the United States veto such a resolution the Security Council should (as when France and Great Britain was using their veto against the Security Council´s resolution urging them to cease all acts of combat against Egypt during the Suez war) summon the General Assembly, according to the Resolution 377 of 1950, in order to take a decision urging a cessation of all acts of war by the United States and its allies.

At the same time, the Swedish Government should instruct all its diplomatic representatives in all states to make use of the emergency exit opening in the event the Security Council should become dead-locked due to the pressure applied by the United States, to exercise their right to ask for an immediate summoning of the General Assembly.

In doing so the Swedish government - supported by the will of the overwhelming majority of the Swedish people and by the world opinion as well, could contribute to the cancellation of this criminal war. At the same time it could ensure that the United Nations is living up to its constitution.