Withdrawal From UN Mooted

Syria Media Report, 26-Sep-08

Withdrawal From UN Mooted

Syria Media Report, 26-Sep-08

IWPR

Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Friday, 26 September, 2008
The Syrian newspaper Al-Watan wondered in an editorial of September 24 why Syria is still a member of the United Nations, calling upon the government to review its membership.



Dr Ibrahim Daraji, professor of law at Damascus University, claimed in an editorial that the UN has failed on many occasions to defend Arab rights and interests.



Currently, the UN General Assembly is holding its 63. session, with participation of the Syrian minister for Foreign Affairs Waled al-Muallem.



The writer called it “an illusion” to think that this organisation was established to achieve justice and peace, while in reality “it is a political organisation that was established by the victors of the Second World War to reinforce their gains and privileges”.



As an example of its bias, he cited the UN’s handling of the Israeli attack on an alleged Syrian atomic site in 2007. When Syria protested to the Security Council, it “refused to even discuss the aggression”.



For him, all this is enough reason to reconsider the importance of the UN for Syria. Nevertheless, he concluded that currently there is no alternative to the UN and that the only beneficiary of a Syrian withdrawal from the UN would be Israel.

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