The shoe and the other foot

In a stunning development, the New York Times reports today on the United Nations Security Council's decision to invoke Chapter VII of its charter, and immediately sanction the United States for a series of "threats to the peace, breaches of peace, and acts of aggression," which have culminated in its recent hints that strategic nuclear strikes might justifiably be launched against a weaponless Iran:

The President vowed today to defy any United Nations Security Council resolution on its nuclear activities hours before the release of a major report the status of its Mid-Eastern military plans.

Speaking at a rally in Montana, President Bush said the country would not compromise with the Council on its "right" to irresponsibly use nuclear technology for preventing the irresponsible use of nuclear technology.

"Enemies think they can make Americans give up their honorable path through propaganda, false publicity, political threats and imposition of sanctions," he said, according to FOX news channel. "America is a nuk-u-ler country. This slogan that nuk-u-ler power is our inalienable right is the will of the people and a national security issue."

His comments also echoed earlier statements made by The Decider about being "with us or against us", urging the resolution's largely-Arab backers against doing anything that would "cause trouble for other countries."

"Be careful and think about the consequences of your actions. I urge you not to put yourself and the region into trouble," he warned. "Avoid taking a measure that will put others into trouble as well."

John Bolton, the American ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in New York that the U.S. would consider illegitimate any Council resolution calling on America to stop invasion plans that invoked the so-called Chapter 7 clause, which could open the door to penalties and possibly to military action.

OK, OK - I'll stop now. The real Times article (*which, as of this afternoon, had been updated and reworded to the point of rendering my little name- swapping parody completely unrecognizable, dammit!) is here, and reads much more as you might have expected it to.

It occurs to me, among other unintended ironies, that the U.S. and other supporters of a Security Council condemnation of Iran would be wise to pay special attention to Chapter VII's Article 51, which states:

Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations...

Let's at least be clear, kids, that if this Administration is foolish enough to keep pressing forward with its punitive agenda, all that "retribution" promised us lately by Iranian leaders is pretty much protected under international law. Just as the Persian nation's pursuit of peaceful nuclear energy is guaranteed by the NPT, a treaty whose rules and regulations the United States has agreed to observe "without discrimination" (Article IV).

And it strikes me, as I said yesterday, how easily the ongoing stance of the U.S. toward Tehran slips into the role-reversal exercise above. How perfectly American military incursion into Iraq and open discussion of war with Iran qualify as "threats to the peace, breaches of peace, and acts of aggression."

How well this shoe fits on the other foot.