Charter-Busting Number
President Obama has left behind him a bagful of promises. The one supporting India’s candidature for a permanent seat in UN’s Security Council has got everyone excited. But pay attention to his words: “In years ahead, I look forward to a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member.” That could be five years or fifty years. So don’t hold your breath! Hillary Clinton, as quoted by a Wikileaks document, was more candid. She dismissed Brazil, India and Japan as ‘self-appointed frontrunners’. The United States does not want an expansion of permanent members but there is no harm in pretending. China is opposed to both India and Japan, countries in its volatile backyard, and it will do the dirty work for the US.
Enlargement of the permanent membership of the Council requires a change...
