Comments on the Nobel Peace Prize Interview with Fredrik Heffermehl
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15 December 2017 No 31 ISSN 1664-7963 Current Concerns PO Box CH-8044 Zurich Current Concerns Switzerland The international journal for independent thought, ethical standards, moral responsibility, Phone: +41 44 350 65 50 Fax: +41 44 350 65 51 and for the promotion and respect of public international law, human rights and humanitarian law E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.currentconcerns.ch English Edition of Zeit-Fragen The decisive will to peace is a great force An interview with Dr Daniele Ganser A few weeks ago, ogist (peace scientist). Your latest book not secretly arm groups in other countries the French-lan- has now been published in French. Are to overthrow the government. Of course guage edition of all wars illegal ? we have large problems in the 21st centu- the bestseller of Daniele Ganser: In general, all wars are ry. But we can’t solve them with violence. the Swiss histori- illegal. The UN Charter, signed in 1945, an and peace re- explicitly states that states must resolve And yet, from the official level politicians searcher Daniele their conflicts of interests without resort- like Barack Obama and David Cameron Ganser, published ing to violence or arms. Wars are clearly are not criticised for their illegal actions, at the end of 2016 illegal. However, there are two exeptions: but on the contrary for not violating inter- Daniele Ganser and now in its sev- First, self-defense; if a country is attacked, national law a little more, when, in 2013, (picture enth edition, was it has the right to defend itself militarily. they did not bomb Syria after the chemi- Kristin Herbig) published “Les Second, a war is legal if the UN Security cal attack of Ghouta! Guerres illégales de l’OTAN. Une chro- Council has an explicit mandate to do so. True indeed, President Obama and Prime nique de Cuba jusqu’à la Syrie” (Nato’s Minister Cameron have used violence illegal wars. A chronicle from Cuba to The example of the Soviet debacle in Af- against Libya in 2011, and as we see now Syria). On the occasion of the publica- ghanistan should have made the Unit- the country is still being haunted by vio- tion of the French edition, “Horizons et ed States think in 2001; the fiasco of the lence. Wars always lead to new problems. débats” spoke with the author about his so-called “export of democracy” in Iraq In Syria the US and the British together book and his positions. should have made the French and the with other nations secretly armed the en- British think twice before they intervene emies of Assad, I explain that in my new Horizons et débats: Mr Ganser, you are in Libya in 2011, or help the jihadists in book. Again, that was not a good idea as a historian, specialist in contemporary Syria. Can’t we learn anything from his- we see today. Many people died, many history since 1945 and expert in inter- tory? people suffered. national politics. Within the SIPER In- I think we can indeed learn something stitute that you have created and run, from history. The bottom line is that we As a peace researcher you still seem to you are interested in many topics such cannot solve our problems with violence. remain optimistic. Your book contains as energy and geostrategy, conflicts over We tried many times. But really it all lead frightening facts but it is always fair, hu- resources and economic policy, the im- to more problems. So I stress in my book plementation of secret wars. You are that we should stick to the UN principles, committed to peace. You are an irenol- not bomb or invade other countries and continued on page 2 The Swiss Institute for Peace and En- ergy Research (SIPER, www.siper.ch) was founded as an independent in- stitute in Basel in 2011. At SIPER, its founder and director Dr Daniele Ganser and his team an- alyse the global fight over oil from a geostrategic perspective and re- search the potential of renewable energies. SIPER publishes its find- ings and data to the interested pub- lic. SIPER is supported by commit- ted business partners and values its scientific cooperation with part- ners in the research sector. SIPER’s main output are public lectures. Further SIPER products are inter- views, studies and books. Concern- ing peace research, SIPER envisions a world where conflicts are resolved with respect and through dialogue – without violence, torture, terror and war. ISBN 978-3-2800-5631-8 ISBN 978-2-9171-1239-7 No 31 15 December 2017 Current Concerns Page 2 ”The decisive will to peace is a great force” no punishment whatsoever. Because the Reading your book, you really understand continued from page 1 five permanent members of the Security that the use of force is NEVER a solution; Council can avoid all punishment by issu- or rather it’s always the worst. Without manistic, powerful and sometimes very ing a veto. That clearly is not fair. the military intervention of the US in Iraq, personal. What makes you optimistic? ISIS would not exist: the “war on terror” Yes, I am strongly convinced that the de- What role does the fact that the UN has not only engenders violence … but also sire for peace is an important force for the no army of its own play for its weakness? more and more terrorism. An end to the 21st century. We all have the choice either How should the UN be transformed to be- spiral of violence is not yet in sight. to kill or not to kill. I am convinced that come more effective? As long as the mass media are above all the second choice is the better one. It is not No, I don’t think the main problem of the giving the voice to the warmongers, thus true that Milosevic was a new Hitler. The UN is that it does not have a strong UN people who believe in violence and who historical truth is that Hitler bombed Bel- army. Because just imagine the UN had a appear regularly on TV and in newspa- grade. And it is a shame that in 1999 Ger- strong army. Who would send it into a war, pers, we will have more wars. However, many together with other nations bombed who would decide? It would be the Securi- if the pacifists receive more time on TV Belgrade again. As the UN Charter says: ty Council. And there again my observation and in newspapers or on alternative news no country should bomb another country. I is that the last 70 years show that the per- channels on the internet then more and know that in France some people protested manent members of the UN Security Coun- more people will come to understand that when Sarkozy bombed Libya in 2011. And cil, above all the United States of Ameri- we will not be able to solve the biggest I want to support these protesters. They ca and other NATO members, have waged problems in the 21st century with violence. were right. Think of the opposite story: too many illegal wars while they protect- So the media will play a crucial role, be- Libya bombed Paris in 2011. Some people ed themselves from punishment by a veto. cause they can silence voices or make in Libya protested against the war. Would them louder. It is an illusion that we can it not have been right to support the protest- The UN project was to establish the in- hear all the voices that are relevant. Very ers in Libya who insisted that it is wrong to ternational law under which all coun- often we hear voices that ask for more war bomb other countries? tries are equal. However, the existence and more defense spending, and we hear of the United Nations has been accepted them very loud and all the time. At the In your book you mention several times by the great powers only because the lat- same time people who have studied war Martin Luther King, Albert Einstein and ter retain a power of blockage (right of and violence profoundly and who say that Gandhi. What do these people mean to veto), which contradicts the equality be- war can not be the answer are often un- you? tween the States. What scenarios can be known. Smedley Butler (1881–1940) was Martin Luther King, Albert Einstein and envisaged for the future of the United Na- a United States Marine Corps major gen- Gandhi are true leaders. They show the tions in this paradoxical situation? How eral, the highest rank authorised at that way ahead. Gandhi rightly said: “Be the could the Organisation evolve towards time, and at the time of his death the most change you want to see!” We now live more equality, justice and peace among decorated Marine in US history. What he in a world where people search for true its members? said is true also today, but you don’t hear leadership. They often search these lead- Yes, we indeed have a paradox here. We it on TV: “War is a racket. It always has ers among Presidents and Prime Minis- have 193 nations that are UN members. been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the ters. But that is the wrong place to search But five – US, Russia, China, France, UK most profitable, surely the most vicious. It for true leaders because Presidents and – are veto powers. This means that each is the only one international in scope.