http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=BOY20070330&articleId=5240
Showdown between Britain and Iran: Is Mediation Possible?
by Prof. Francis A. Boyle
Global Research, March 30, 2007
Recourse to 1899 Hague Convention for the Pacific Settlement of
International Disputes
Article 2 of the 1899 Hague Convention for the Pacific Settlement of
International Disputes provides that in case of serious disagreement
or conflict, before an appeal to arms, the contracting powers agree to
have recourse, as far as circumstances allow, to the good offices or
mediation of one or more friendly powers. In other words, the United
Kingdom and Iran have already agreed to have recourse to the good
offices or mediation by one or more of the contracting powers to the
1899 Hague Convention in order to settle the Sailors dispute. The
contracting parties to both the 1899 and the 1907 Hague Conventions
for the Pacific Settlement of Disputes are listed below after my
previous post of 29 March 2007.
In addition, Article 3 of the 1899 Hague Convention established the
right of states not parties to the dispute, on their own initiative,
and as far as circumstances may allow, to offer their good offices or
mediation to the States at variance. This right could be exercised by
third parties even during the course of ongoing hostilities, when the
tide of battle was turning against a belligerent, which is not yet the
case here. Most importantly, the exercise of this right by a third
state could not be regarded by one of the states in conflict (UK and
Iran) as an unfriendly act of intervention.
Therefore, what we need to do now is start a world-wide campaign to
get at least one State contracting party to the Hague Conventions for
the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes (listed below) to
exercise its "good offices" by proposing to both the United Kingdom
and Iran that they invoke Article 9 of the Convention in order to
organize an International Commission of Inquiry to resolve their
dispute over the Sailors. I would encourage all of you to pressure
your respective governments to do the same. Otherwise, a major
regional war could erupt in the Gulf that could readily degenerate
into World War III. Remember the Guns of August!
Global Research Articles by Francis A. Boyle
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole
responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of
the Center for Research on Globalization (or your dearest old Uncle
Wally for that matter !!! ;-) HOOROO !!!
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