Wrong Time to Take a Stand

Like any other country, China acts in what it perceives to be its best interests. This story, then, has me wondering:

China on Tuesday joined voices opposing swift military action against Iraq, presenting another obstacle to U.S.-led plans to disarm the regime by force.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin called for a peaceful resolution to the standoff over Baghdad’s alleged biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs. ”Warfare is good for no one,” Jiang said.

Should China (or France or Russia, for that matter) use its veto against any UNSC force authorization veto, it could well spell the end of whatever little relevance the UN still has. That is, if the US-led Coalition goes on ahead with toppling Saddam, and if the coalition then puts forth a strong effort to make Iraq into a more civilized nation