Will the UN get involved in Syria?

And there's plenty of sectarian violence between Jews in Israel as well, Mr. High & Mighty.

You mean Jews are suicide bombers against other Jews? I missed this on the news?

You guys are superb at these things, Foofie. I suspect that it's all part of the training that you get from day one.

UN rules out amnesty for Syria's Assad
Posted June 03, 2012 05:57:59/ABC News


al-Assad should have to face a war crimes court. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier)

Related Story: UN rights forum pushes for Houla investigation
Related Story: Syrian rebel commander pushes for all-out war
Related Story: Protesters clash as Syrian diplomat departs
Related Story: Syria renews attack on Houla massacre site
Map: Syrian Arab Republic

United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay has warned Syria's president that there can be no amnesty for his crimes, as bloodshed continues across the country.

Yesterday the UN Human Rights Council authorised an investigation into the massacre of more than 100 people in Houla last week.

Ms Pillay says the international community might be tempted to offer Bashar al-Assad's regime amnesty in a bid to end the violence.

But she says the only place Mr Assad should end up is before a war crimes court.

"In the context of the widespread and systematic killings, arrests and disappearance of civilians, I regard this as equivalent to crimes against humanity," she said.

"I've consistently called for the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court."

She says Syrian forces found responsible for deadly attacks may also be liable for prosecution.

"I reiterate that those who order, assist or fail to stop attacks on civilians are individually criminally liable for their actions," she said.

I reiterate that those who order, assist or fail to stop attacks on civilians are individually criminally liable for their actions.
~ Navi Pillay

The warning came as Arab leaders called for action amid growing concern that UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan is failing and the country descending into all-out civil war.

"We request Mr Annan to set a time frame for his mission because it is unacceptable that massacres and bloodshed continue while the mission is ongoing indefinitely," Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani said.

"We demand the UN Security Council refer the six-point [plan] to Chapter VII so that the international community could assume responsibilities."....

The UN's six-point peace plan

A commitment to stop fighting and a cessation of armed fighting by all parties, including the withdrawal of heavy weapons from population centres.

Work with the UN for an inclusive Syrian-led political process to address the concerns of the Syrian people, which includes committing to appoint an "empowered interlocutor".

Ensure timely provision of humanitarian assistance to all areas affected by the fighting.

Hasten the pace and scale at which arrested protestors are released, and provide details of all places they are being detained.

Ensure freedom of movement throughout Syria for journalists.

Respect the freedom of association and the right to demonstrate peacefully as legally guaranteed.

United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay has warned Syria's president that there can be no amnesty for his crimes, as bloodshed continues across the country.

"In the context of the widespread and systematic killings, arrests and disappearance of civilians, I regard this as equivalent to crimes against humanity," she said.

"I've consistently called for the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court."

There are US, UK, Australian, Canadian, ... leaders who also have to be told that there can be no amnesty for their crimes.

.... reform is very necessary so that the UN can act, rather that have its hands tied by one (or more) of the permanent members.

• Failure to prevent the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which resulted in the killings of nearly a million people, due to the refusal of security council members to approve any military action.
• Failure by MONUC (UNSC Resolution 1291) to effectively intervene during the Second Congo War, which claimed nearly five million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 1998-2002, and in carrying out and distributing humanitarian aid.
• Failure to intervene in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, despite the fact that the UN designated Srebrenica a "safe haven" for refugees and assigned 600 Dutch peacekeepers to protect it.
• Failure to successfully deliver food to starving people in Somalia; the food was instead usually seized by local warlords. A U.S./UN attempt to apprehend the warlords seizing these shipments resulted in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.
• Failure to implement the provisions of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701 calling for disarmament of Lebanese paramilitary groups such as Fatah and Hezbollah.
• Sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers. In December 2004, during the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, at least 68 cases of alleged rape, prostitution and pedophilia and more than 150 other allegations have been uncovered by UN investigators, all perpetrated by UN peacekeepers, specifically ones from Pakistan, Uruguay, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa and Nepal. Peacekeepers from three of those nations are also accused of obstructing the investigation.[
• Also, a French UN logistics expert in Congo was charged of rape and child pornography in the same month. The BBC reported that young girls were abducted and raped by UN peacekeepers in Port-au-Prince. Similar accusations have been made in Liberia and in Sudan

That may be a good start, but what other influence will they have? Where will their funding come from? In places like Syria, words do not have much influence. How will a "new" UN correct the problems of the past such as, ... etc

Those past failures happened, because the UN has no muscle power. When they make UN resolutions, and can't enforce them, it means they have no influence or power.

What will change from more words and revisions to the UN?