Political Leadership

“The impact of leaders' personal characteristics on their state's foreign policy generally increases when their authority and legitimacy are widely accepted by citizens or, in authoritarian regimes, when leaders are protected from broad public criticism” (Kegley et al., 67, 2012). According to the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, The issue of whether or not, and under what circumstances, a President can act “outside the law” is not just dry fodder for political theorists, but an issue of real importance today” (Abbott, 2, 2010). “People like to think that those who make decisions in the name of the state agree on what strategic goals to pursue, assess the alternative means of attaining them through deliberate, exacting procedures, and ultimately select the approach that is most effective and efficient (Kegley et al., 69, 2012). Unfortunately, this is not always the case and leadership sometimes involves those who are hostile towards others, or who have as a purpose a design to injure other ethnic groups. The result of poor leadership led into genocide in Kosovo, and currently, if left unchecked, could lead to further widespread destruction. This can be seen from the leadership roles of Iranian President Ahmadinejad who has openly expressed his determination for the elimination of all Jews in the Middle East regions. When does a nation-states leader cross the line, become despotic, and overly exert that influence both internally with its own people, and externally with others? These are questions better suited for an international body that should be able to choose, when conflict should or should be addressed, why the conflict is being addressed, and where the conflict should be addressed. The global security of all nations depends upon this.

Addressing the Problem

These are only a few of the many problems that the international community is faced with daily. Finding solutions to the many problems is imperative, yet, met with much resistance due to the overwhelming consensus that stipulates to not only states sovereignty, but its national security interests. When and why does the imperative to intervene become the precedent, and what influence should the international community have while dealing with the domestic internal affairs of other nations. Furthermore, when atrocities take place, many bureaucratic processes have to be enacted before intervention by the international community becomes the imperative. Shouldn't these bureaucratic processes be lessened when there is evidence of internal strife, humanitarian abuses, threats to the wider international security of nations, and the denial of civil liberties? Shouldn't the International Court of Justice be given the ultimate authority to swiftly and expediently intervene?

Intervention

In order for the International Criminal Court to be able to subvert change within a rogue nation, or gain jurisdiction; various levels of bureaucratic functioning have to take place. First, the Security Council authority within the United Nations has to recognize the abuse as having taken place. Next, the matter is handed over to the International Criminal Court for their investigative body to reason as to whether abuses are occurring. The process could take days, weeks, or even months to complete. In these instances, where time is of the utmost necessity and value, many lives could be lost in the process while waiting for bureaucratic decisions to be handled. What is truly needed within the International Court of Justice itself is a body of individuals who have as their purpose the swift and expedient prosecutorial jurisdiction to examine issues imperative to the security of the global society in which we live. A impartial investigative body within the organizational structure of the International Court of justice, which has both the investigative discretion to intervene in a countries domestic internal affairs, and the capabilities to subvert catastrophe at a moments notice. This investigative body should also have the presence of a ongoing internal mechanism enabling the constant monitoring of problem areas or regions. This body should recognize the hostile nature of nation-states and be able to provide oversight and accountability.

“Surprisingly . . . there should be a class of emergencies that force” . . . the wider international community “to act outside of the law in in order to save lives and even the state(s)” (Abbott, 2, 2010). According to Post – Strike Attribution - - A Political and Scientific Dilemma, “Linkages between the available evidence, intelligence information, forensic analysis, and other scientific and nonscientific data will need to be made and substantiated. Very senior policy officials in government responsible for law enforcement, defense, homeland security, and diplomatic activities ought to provide oversight and supply the policy elements to an otherwise scientific rendering of the facts under investigation” (McCreight & Supinski, 2, 2007). Shared development combining financial resources and the costs associated with administration could fall within the mandate and purpose of its mission (Penniman, 102, 2011). The international community deserves to feel both safe and secure from the widespread abuses that currently face the global community. Assimilation of this program is of the greatest necessity.

References

Abbott, Ernest B. (2010) "Law, Emergencies, and the Constitution: A Review of Outside the Law: Emergency and Executive Power," Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management: Vol. 7: Iss. 1, Article 17.
DOI: 10.2202/1547-7355.1717

Adany, T.V. (2003). Humanitarian Intervention Against States Supporting Terrorism. Article. ME Számítóközpont. Publisher is Miskolci Egyetem (Hungary). Retrieved From:University of Miskolc, http://www.uni-miskolc.hu/ by way of Homeland Security Digital Database.

Albright, D., & Walrond, C. (2009). The Trials of the German-Iranian Trader Mohsen Vanaki: The German Federal Intelligence Service Assesses that Iran Likely Has a Nuclear Weapons Program. ISIS Report. Institute for Science and International Security. Retrieved from Homeland Security Digital Database. http://isis- online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/MohsenCaseStudy_23Oct2009.pdf

Birdsall, A. (2010). The Monster That We Need To Slay. Global Governance, The United States, and the International Criminal Court .Article. pp. 451-469. Retrieved from Military and Government Collection at University of Maryland University College.

Penniman, D. (2011). Changing Organizations:Three Case Studies. Librarianship In Times of Crisis. Librarianship Vol. 34., Published by the Emerald Group. DOI: 10.1108/S0065- 2830(2011)0000034008

El Zein, S. (1999). Interpol’s role in protecting human right’s. Article. International Criminal Police Review. No. 474-475. Retrieved from Homeland security Digital Database. International Criminal Police Organization - INTERPOL Archive: http://web.archive.org/web/20031011135812/http://www.interpol.int/Public/Publications/ ICPR/ICPR474_1.asp

ICJ. (2011). International Court of Justice. URL is http://www.icj-cij.org/homepage/index.php

Kegley, C.W., & Raymond, G.A. (2012). The Global Future: A Brief Introduction to World Politics. (4^th ed.). Boston, MA. Cengage Wadsworth Learning.

Kirschenbaum, Alan (2007) "Review of Introduction to International Disaster Management," Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management: Vol. 4: Iss. 3, Article 6.
DOI: 10.2202/1547-7355.1389

McCreight, Robert and Supinski, Stanley (2007) "Post-Strike Attribution--A Political & Scientific Dilemma," Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management: Vol. 4: Iss. 2, Article 11. DOI: 10.2202/1547-7355.1335

Mingst, K.A., & Snyder, J.L. (2011). Essential Readings in World Politics. (4^th ed.). New York, NY. W.W. Norton & Company.

Simmons, B.A., & Danner, A. (2010). Credible Commitments and the International Criminal Court. International Organization 64. pp. 225-56. Academic Journal Article. The IO Organization. DOI: 10+10170S0020818310000044

Terry, J.P. (2004). Rethinking Humanitarian Intervention After Kosovo: Legal Reality and Pragmatism. Article THE ARMY LAWYER • DA PAM 27-50-375. Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAGCNet): www.jagcnet.army.mil via the Homeland Security Digital Database. URL is: https://www-hsdl-org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/?view&did=449904

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 991