UN Secretary-General Ban casts doubt on legality of US plans for Syria strike.

UN Secretary-General Ban casts doubt on legality of US plans for Syria strike.(HD).

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Sept. 3 that the use of force is only legal when it is in self-defense or with U.N. Security Council authorization, remarks that appear to question the legality of U.S. plans to strike Syria without U.N. backing.

He said that if U.N. inspectors confirm the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Security Council, which has long been deadlocked on the 2-1/2-year Syrian civil war, should overcome its differences and take action.

"If confirmed, any use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances will be a serious violation of international law and outrageous war crime," he told reporters. "Any perpetrators must be brought to justice. There should be no impunity."

When pressed about the decision to move in front of the UN and NATO rather than wait for intelligence reports, McCain said neither organization will move quickly enough.

“Because neither organization is going to act, to start with, so you’d be waiting forever,” McCain said.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/john-mccain-syria-plan-96187.html#ixzz2dr7KypkR