The “responsibility to protect” is a norm that is grounded in the international law. Approved in 2005 as mutually agreed by all the nations having veto power, it establishes the international community’s power to intervene in a country that is not able to protect its own citizens against genocides, war crimes or ethnic cleansing.
The United States of America might therefore call upon the “responsibility to protect” norm in order to regulate the Strike in Syria by the international law. This can be done because of the fact that the use of chemical weapons is forbidden by international law and it is considered as a war crime, allowing therefore, according to the US’s vision of the situation, a military action.
Moreover, the Americans have reminded to the Russian Federation that, according to the “responsibility to protect” , Russia intervened in Georgia in 2008, without the formal authorization of the United Nations Security Council.
Perhaps the United States Secretary of State John Kerry, and the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, have discussed about this aspect yesterday.
Even though the United States have certainly reminded to the Russian Federation their action in Georgia, based on the “responsibility to protect”, Lavrov would have highlighted the big risks involved by an American Strike in Syria, regarding the country’s security.
At the same time the United States have been exhorted by Iran not to cross a not further specified “red line” in Syria.
Our analysts believe that the Iranian government have threatened to quit the 5+1 negotiations on the nuclear issue in case of an American attack in Syria hindering the Syrian Rais Al Assad who is Iran’s most important ally and the real joining link between Iran and the Hezbollah’s militia.
The United States anyway seems to intend to attack, clearly pushed by the UK and France and may be attacking in two weeks or even less. Israel is living the attack’s eve with a great fear, worrying about a possible reprisal by Al Assad.
On the contrary our center believes in a possible reprisal against the American air base of Incirlik, in Turkey, because of the certain Turkish involvement in the actions. We also believe in a likely attempt of the Syrian armed forces to attack the American, French and British ships in the country. We will soon talk about this.
Here you are in the meantime an interesting link that illustrates the R2P principles.