Open Letter to the United Nations:
It should be a crime to initiate a war of aggression - and to attack in a war.
By Svend Aage Nielsen, Vedersø. Author, Chairman of the Kennedy Society of Denmark.
November 20, 2015 it will be 90 years since Robert F. Kennedy was born. When he was
assassinated 42-year-old in 1968, we have included his name in the purpose of the Kennedy
Society of Denmark:
“Keeping alive John F. and Robert F. Kennedy’s inspiration and
philosophy of life, so that their good words can be translated into good deeds.”
Site:
www.kennedysociety.dk
When President Johnson declared war against North Vietnam in
1964 after the fictional Tonkin Bay-violation, their ways parted. July 9, 1965, Robert F.
Kennedy stated: "Guns and bombs cannot fill empty stomachs or educate children, cannot
build homes or heal the sick." This he repeated, 1967 in his book
To seek a newer world.
To
the end of his life, he spoke against war and for peace. On June 1, 1968, he did appeal "to
win the greatest victory of all: The victory over war."
November 20, 2015 is too the 70th anniversary of the opening of the Nuremberg Trials
against the leaders of Nazi Germany. An accusation against them was that they had
instigated "aggressive wars" and committed other serious war crimes. The Allied Powers did
not believe that one could let those crimes go unpunished. The legal basis was not clearly
present on November 20, 1945. John F. Kennedy's book
Profiles in Courage,
quotes Senator
Robert A. Taft for his courage to state about the Nuremberg tribunal: "By our standards that
crimes arose during an
ex post facto
law. Goering and all deserved severe punishment. But
their guilt did not justify us in substituting power for principle. "Robert A. Taft had the
Constitution of his country on his side, but not the mood of his people. His courageous
defense for "Equal justice under the law", as written on the front of the US Supreme Court,
reduced his chance to become President. Now that the Allied powers as victors condemned
"war of aggression" as a crime, we must hold them to the position that wars of aggression
shall be brought to justice. It can be difficult to define international law, but the same Allied
did define the United Nations Charter very well, where its Articles 2, part 3, 25 and 39
commit the UN member states to solve their problems by peaceful means and to respect the
decisions of its Security Counsel. In my opinion it will always be a violation of the UN-
charter to initiate a war of aggression – without approval by the Security Council, and such
cases shall therefore be brought to the International Court of Justice in the Hague, now
dealing with war-crimes and crimes against humanity. It is possible for the UN member
States to decide a date for this. The late President Kennedy stated September 25, 1961 in his
address to the UN General Assembly: "For in the development of this organization rests the
only true alternative to war, and war appeals no longer as a rational alternative." He also said
in the same speech:" “Let us call a truce to terror. "" When terror after 9/11 2001was defined
as war by President George W. Bush, war is terror. Then by criminalizing aggressive attacks
in war can lead to a ceasefire in all ongoing wars, so people no longer becomes forced to
flee. The date for such a clarifying of the Charter of the United Nations to come into force,
are here proposed to be adopted by the UN as soon as possible – for then being set in force at
November 20, 2015 - as an honor to President John F. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.