April, 12 2011, 01:14pm EDT
Kucinich to UN on Libya: Will UN Mandate Now Give Way to Regime Change?
France and UK Bypass UN, to NATO: “More Airstrikes!”
WASHINGTON
United States Representative Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), who has led Congressional opposition to the war in Libya, today asked United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to take action to ensure that its member states acting in Libya do not take actions that exceed the authorization provided in United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. Britain and France have called for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to intensify air strikes in Libya.
In a letter to the Secretary General, Kucinich referred to today's reports that the British and French foreign ministers appear to be trying to push NATO to go beyond the actions that were authorized by the international community.
"It is imperative the UN remind France and Britain that regime change is not part of the UN mandate. An attempt at regime change would likely expand a civil war creating a large number of civilian casualties on both sides. NATO is not authorized to go beyond the UN mandate and France and Great Britain should not demand they do so. The UN Secretary General must intervene to stop an expansion of the war even though two member states, for whatever reason, appear intent on pursuing that expansion," Kucinich said.
See a signed copy of the letter here.
Dennis Kucinich is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008.
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According to the newspaper:
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Without naming anyone, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a polio survivor, put out a lengthy statement on Friday.
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