UN Unanimously Approves War on Daesh

NEW YORK: With a rare rapidity of purpose, the United Nations has unanimously adopted a sweeping anti-Isis resolution imploring the world to unite to defeat the terror group. It called on member states to “redouble and coordinate their efforts” to prevent further terrorist horrors by the group and “eradicate” its safe havens straddling parts of Iraq and Syria.

The dramatic vote in the Security Council barely 24 hours after the text was presented by the French ambassador to the UN, François Delattre. Stunned by the attacks of one week ago in Paris, the French government had correctly calculated that sympathy and a new sense of crisis in the chamber would trump months of dithering and division on the combined issues of Isis and the Syrian conflict.

“By its violent extremist ideology, its terrorist acts, its continued gross systematic and widespread attacks directed against civilians, abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those driven on religious or ethnic ground, its eradication of cultural heritage and trafficking of cultural property,” Daesh issued “a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security,” the Security Council stressed.

It also urged member states to boost efforts to block the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria, and choke the financing of the terror group, reiterating that those responsible for terrorist acts, violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable.

The resolution does not invoke Chapter VII of the UN charter specifically to authorize the use of outside military force within the borders of a sovereign state. It was nonetheless crafted in a way clearly meant to give countries additional diplomatic and political cover and impetus to target Isis and eliminate it.

The text calls on nations “with the capacity to do so” to “take all necessary measures” to “redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts” committed by Isis. It also labels the Isis a “global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security”.

The action in New York came as the world watched another terror crisis unfold in Mali where militants stormed a hotel in the capital, Bamako, briefly taking 170 people hostage, before the hotel was stormed by security forces. Among hostages were citizens of China, France and the United States.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius welcomed the adoption and said that the resolution revealed the world’s resolve to fight Daesh terrorists.

“It is now important for all countries to commit themselves in a concrete manner to this fight, either through military action, the search for political solutions or the battle against terrorist financing,” Fabius was quoted as saying by AFP.

The resolution, however, stopped short of providing any legal basis for military action.

Syrian Ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari said ahead of Friday’s vote that this resolution was long overdue. 

“Welcome to everybody who finally woke up and joined the club of combating terrorists,” Jaafari noted.

The resolution was adopted as Russia, one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, has already launched a heavy air campaign against ISIS in Syria since September 30 upon a request from the Syrian government.

A so-called US-led coalition against purported ISIS positions in Iraq also started in August last year. A similar coalition began in Syria a month later but without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate. Agencies

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