Article by Lord Owen published in The Guardian 3 May 2013
Syrians need a regional settlement that is owned by the region – and the UN security council must make that happen
The lesson of history for dealing with Syria in 2013 is to avoid a repeat of 1919. At the Paris conference dominated by the United States, Britain and France, Lloyd George was heard to say: “Mesopotamia … yes … oil … irrigation … we must have Mesopotamia [which was destined to be in Iraq]. Palestine … yes. The Holy Land … Zionism … we must have Palestine. Syria … hm; what is there in Syria? Let the French have that.” Henceforth Damascus was under the French, and the Emir Faisal I, King of Greater Syria, was double-crossed, and with him, Lawrence of Arabia..
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May 3rd, 2013 |
Filed under: foreign affairs, Home |
Article by Lord Owen published in The Telegraph 27 September, 2012
In New York this week, addressing the UN General Assembly, David Cameron said of Syria: “The blood of these young children is a terrible stain on the reputation of the United Nations.” This is too glib. The reputation that is being damaged is not that of the UN, but of the five permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, the US, Britain and Russia. They are the core of the realpolitik that has meant that the UN did not go the way of the League of Nations, even during the strains of the Cold War. It is the responsibility of these nations to forge realistic compromises and take account of their differing interests. To read the full article click here
October 1st, 2012 |
Filed under: foreign affairs |
Article by Lord Owen published in The Guardian 8-9 June, 2012
The UN and Nato must heed the lessons of Kosovo and Bosnia: that diplomacy and force are effective only in alliance.
Kofi Annan, the UN special envoy to Syria, did not mince his words when the security council met yesterday. “If things do not change, the future is likely to be one of brutal repression, massacres, sectarian violence and even all-out civil war,” he said.
The UN’s current international impotence is devastating to behold, with Russia and China holding out against the US, Britain and France over the issue of foreign intervention in Syria. But this was the situation the world faced with Libya, as Gaddafi’s forces closed on Benghazi; the crucial change came when the Arab League demanded the security council intervene. We are at that point again, with the Arab League head, Nabil Elaraby, asking Ban Ki-moon to submit the fighting in Syria to the security council under chapter VII of the UN charter, as a threat to world peace and security…
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June 9th, 2012 |
Filed under: foreign affairs, International Affairs |
Statement made on Friday 11 May 2012
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May 13th, 2012 |
Filed under: defence and nuclear |
Article by The RT Hon Lord Owen published in The Times Monday 16 April 2012
When Governments look to the UN it is usually because they have decided that they themselves cannot solve the conflict. This means that the UN starts, almost by definition, with an immensely difficult, often unsolvable, problem. Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General, in calling upon his predecessor Kofi Annan to deal with Syria, chose very wisely. He had to have a negotiator who could command the respect of Russia and China on the Security Council if the deadlock was to be broken…
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April 17th, 2012 |
Filed under: International Affairs |
CNN Interview with Lord Owen, 3 April 2012
Lord Owen discusses different approaches to dealing with Syria’s upheaval.
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April 4th, 2012 |
Filed under: International Affairs |
The solution lies in selective sanctions – not being sucked into military conflict.
Article by Lord David Owen: To read the full full article please click here
Published in The Daily Telegraph 1 December, 2011
December 1st, 2011 |
Filed under: International Affairs |
Summits only expose politicians’ impotence. Default will be decided by markets, and won’t mean a state has to quit the EU… To read the full article click here
Article published in The Guardian Monday, 7 November 2011
November 8th, 2011 |
Filed under: International Affairs |
