SECCIONES
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Diálogo |
Diálogo con Hans Blix |
D.I. Diáologo Iberoamericano 1 |
H.B. Hans Blix 2 |
D.I: What is your opinion about Bush's final acceptance that Irak does not own weapons of mass destruction? H.B: About Bush accepting that? Well, if he says that, it seems that it is. I mean, that is the reality. I may say, then, that it was a little like a witch hunter, they were absolutely convinced that the witches were there, but now they have seen that they weren't. They still think that the war was justified. They said that replacing Saddam [Hussein] and the regime would make the region better; well, it was seen of course as a price… as an enormous price; we must remember that one of the games of the war which they promised: to get rid of the weapons of mass destruction, that was not there. D.I: Is there anything, Dr. Blix, that you would have done differently regarding the inspection in Irak? H.B: No, I contrary see that there was anything that I should have changed. D.I: How would you describe the United Nations Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) relationship with the Secretary-General and the Security Council? H.B.: UNMOVIC, the organization which I directed, enjoyed from excellent relations with the Secretary-General (SG). We had some liberty in front of the SG, but eventhough I did not was directly subordinated to the Security Council, I had had a great respect of its opinions. I discussed with [Koffi] Annan in every moment about the situation happening in Irak, setting up a good dialog; we could have excellent relations, those that did not exist in the past. I respect very much Koffi Annan, I think it was unfair the critics about him, as a consequence of his answer given when he was asked if the war in Irak violated the established in the United Nations Declaration. He answered that Irak's war was not compatible with the United Nations Declaration. And when he was asked if he thought Irak war was illegal, he answered positively saying that in fact it was an illegal war and it was violation to the United Nations Declaration. In that moment, Washington argued that Annan's declaration was incorrect and that it would have been better if the Secretary General would had been prudent. I think that Koffi Annan was elected, not to say what other nations want to, but to have a critical judgment and to point out the facts we must take into consideration in order to succeed in the United Nations principles. I thoroughly agree that the Secretary-General had given its opinion, if he had not done so, undoubtedly he would have lost legitimacy. D.I: With all your professional experience, which advice would you give us, future internationalists, in order to develop a critical thinking and face a world in which pragmatism still exists? H.B: I think you should do your studies very well, because it helps to learn. There is a lot to study. When I was a student in Cambridge in the 1950's, there was lot to learn and nowadays, you have even more to learn and it is more accessible too, because you have it on the internet. But it is vitally important to be willing for it. Talking of today, I could not live with only just newspapers; every morning I have the International Herald Tribune, I also watch BBC, CNN, I read Financial Times, Le Monde, or other papers, because you need to have a variety. If you only watch FOX Television, then I feel sorry about you. (laughing) D.I.: Would you like to express a final comment? H.B: It is important for everyone to search for the truth; I assume that humility is not a bad thing. We must realize that we have limitations. To students and to diplomats I would say that two things are important: You must know your dossier, you must know the facts very well. And secondly, you must also be able to articulate and explain them very carefully: the words are very important and its' use. Also, never humiliate the other side; regardless you are a police commissary investigating a murder, don't humiliate anybody. You don't need this, and it is contra productive; a lot of lies and humiliations are so. So, keep our future with respect. 1. Arturo Fuentes and Adriana Del Valle, students Of International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana. 2. Hans Blix studied at the University of Uppsala, at Columbia University, and at Cambridge University, where he received his PhD. At Stockholm University he attained a doctorate in law and served as a professor in international law. In 1978, he became Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs. During the period of 1981-1997, he served as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In 1987 he received an honorary doc-torate from Moscow State University and the Henry de WolfSmyth Award in 1988. In 1997, he also was awarded by the Uranium Institute with the Gold Medal for distinguished service in the field of nuclear affairs, the predecessor of the World Nuclear Association (WNA). In 2000, the United Nations Secretary-General appointed him to the position of head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). He has written several books on subjects associated with international and constitutional law. In 2001 he became Honorary Chairman of the WNA. |