Facing Syria and Russia, UN prepares to prove the impotence of its "soft power"

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by Tom Rogan

The only real utility of the United Nations lies in its facilitation of dialogue and its ideal location in New York City, which makes it a central gathering house for U.S. intelligence operations.

I note this in light of new U.N. warnings against a looming Russian, Syrian, and Iranian offensive in Idlib province, Syria. Were the U.N. that which it asserts to be — a respected international institution that protects humanitarian interests — it would be able to prevent what is about to happen in Idlib. Which is to say, prevent a slaughter. But it will fail.

The U.N. is trying its best. Warning against the looming offensive's impact on civilians, on Friday, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the situation was "going to be very difficult." Grandi added that other refugees "will be watching very closely what is happening in Idlib in the next few months." This is a clear warning from a senior U.N. official in the exigent interest of preventing a near-term humanitarian catastrophe.

But how are the Russians responding? By totally ignoring the U.N., of course.

Evincing his government's disdain for those warning against the Idlib operation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday warned that "we must still eliminate the remaining hotbeds of terrorism, primarily in the vicinity of the Idlib de-escalation zone." Lavrov even added a threat against western powers that they avoid "playing with fire" by challenging the operation or responding to new Syrian chemical weapons attacks.

Here, Lavrov is referring to the high likelihood that Bashar Assad will again use chemical weapons against his people. To preemptively deter U.S. retaliation against any chemical attacks, the Russians are pumping out fake news that Western powers are planning to stage a chemical attack. It is vintage Russian deception strategy, and everyone with a brain knows it.

The international community often speaks of the U.N.'s instrumental importance as a force for good in the world. But measured where it matters, in influence and in action, Idlib is about to prove the U.N. for what it is: the world's most expensive and impotent talking shop.

In the final analysis, hard power matters; soft power matters only to those who care for it to matter. And in the halls of the Kremlin, the U.N.'s soft power is a funny joke valuable only to influence useful idiots.