More on Annan's hypocricy

Norwegian public opinion tends to look at the secretary general of the United Nations as a sort of überpremier, sometimes writing that Annan will "summon" Bush, Blair or another head of state for a scolding.  The truth is that the secretary general has very little power - he runs the secretariat and owns a bully pulpit.  In order to prove what Dore Gold terms a "lack of standards," Annan is now refusing to assist the Iraqis in conducting trials against members of the Saddam regime.

The reason is that the Iraqi tribune wants to be able to recommend the death penalty for some of the defendants.  Both Annan and European leaders are against the death penalty and won't assist in trials that may result in condemned defendants.

Just for the record: I'm also against the death penalty.  But Annan and the European leaders are full of shit (which is more noteworthy than news at this point):

• As Yonatan Lupu correctly points out in TNR, these leaders are facing two competing imperatives here: fair and credible trials vs. capital punishment.  In this case, there is a clear moral and practical case for favoring free trials.
• Capital punishment may be a barbarous practice, but:
  • Opposition to it isn't exactly reflective of a UN consensus, so Annan is simply trying to impose his own opinion on the matter
  • Neither is it a violation of international law
• The hypocricy is astonishing and suspicious.  Annan and European leaders think nothing of providing tacit and explicit political and financial support for lawless regimes and have a shameful record when it comes to stopping genocide.  Why are they squeamish about this issue?  Could it be sour grapes over US unilateral action?
• It's also telling that Annan and the EU want to deny Iraq this small measure of self-determination in their judicial system.  I think that the hunger for retribution reflects a sad legacy in Iraq, but it's one among many such legacies.  Annan and the EU studiously avoid confronting the so-called "clash of civilizations" in general but are hung up on this issue.

Annan and the EU can and should duly register their opposition to the death penalty, but should nevertheless contribute what they can to the trials in Iraq.  Anything else undermines their already shaky credibility in foreign affairs.