UN and the Military Formation:
1. The goal of world peace is so important for the United Nations that the founders did not hesitate to empower this organisation to use military force to stop and reverse invasions by one country against another country. For this purpose, the United Nations was to be equipped with a standing army consisting of troops, contributed by member countries. This army designed to fight aggressors countries under the control of the United Nations and its Secretary General could not become a reality.
2. The strong countries like the United States and the then Soviet Union had serious disagreements on the matter.
3. Even after more than five decades of its existence,the United Nations does not have its own military force to take military action against an aggressor country. Because of this limitation, the United Nations could not take military action against invading countries independently or automatically.
4. Moreover due to the cold war between the United States and the former Soviet Union and the members of the United Nations could not reach agreement on identifying the aggressor.Often,the two cold war rivals which are permanent members of the Security Council supported the parties to the dispute and prevented action against their allies with the help of veto power.
5. The Security Council remained deadlocked most of the time during the cold war. And yet the UN authorised or permitted one or groups of member countries to take military action on its behalf. Though less than satisfactory, this was a practical option exercised on occasions such as Korea in 1950.
6. United Nations authorised military action happened in 1950 after North Korea armed forces crossed over to South Korea and refused to go back.The United States was willing and prepared to get militarily involved, along with its allies to defend South Korea,for its own reasons.
7. The United Nations simply endorsed the American intention and authorised a military action to push back North Korea from the territory of South Korea. The United States, using the UN flag, somehow succeeded in restoring South Korea's freedom from North Korean invasion.
8. Nearly forty years later,the United Nations got another opportunity to give similar authorisation to the United States and its allies to use military force to push the Iraqi army out of Kuwait. Thus followed the first Gulf war in 1991. It ended with the defeat of Iraq.It is important to remember that the US led Gulf war was the first major war in the new era after the cold war ended.
9. The end of the US-Soviet cold war was widely expected to help positively the United Nations activities for peace. Unfortunately those activities came completely under the shadow of the United States. The United Nations could not act ignoring the preferences and prejudices of the US which became the militarily strongest country after the cold war.
10. In the midst of new threats to peace like civil or ethnic wars in Liberia,Somalia,Former Yugoslavia,the United Nations turned to the United States or its allies to send troops. On ten occasions,the UN authorised use of force after the first Gulf war.
11. The United States was permitted to lead multinational military forces in Somalia (1992), Bosnia (1993), Haiti (1994) and Liberia (2003). Besides, Australia and France also got UN permission to send forces to restore order in East Timor and Rwanda respectively.
12. Nevertheless, many questions have come up about the wisdom of such military activities. Indeed the fair name of the United Nations has been affected. Therefore, the United Nations is more cautious to allow military action under its name.
13. The United Nations refused to grant the US request for permission to wage another war against Iraq in 2003. It is a different matter that the United States went ahead with its war plans without having the benefit of UN permission.
