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   United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 Explained
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Explained.Today </a><li><a href=../contents/list.htm> A-Z Contents </a><li><a href=../contents/list_U.htm> U </a><li><a href=../contents/list_UN.htm> UN </a><li><a href=../contents/list_UNI.htm> UNI </a><li>United Nations Security Council Resolution 678</ul></div></div><div class=SideBar><p class=logo><img alt="Explained Today"title="The Information and Knowledge Portal"height=125px src=../images/brain.gif width=200px><form action=http://www.google.com/cse id=cse-search-box target=_blank><div><input name=cx type=hidden value=partner-pub-5994403859070052:sf3q7o-pgfc><input name=ie type=hidden value=UTF-8><input name=q size=24><input name=sa type=submit value=Search></div></form><script src=http://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box&lang=en></script><p> <div class=HideIfFull><script async src=//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js></script><ins class=adsbygoogle data-ad-client=ca-pub-5994403859070052 data-ad-format=auto data-ad-slot=6382878523 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href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_660/> 660 </a> , <a title="United Nations Security Council resolution 661 was the second resolution by the Security Council over the invasion of Kuwait."href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_661/> 661 </a> , <a title="United Nations Security Council resolution 662 was illegal."href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_662/> 662 </a> , <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_664/> 664 </a> , <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_665/> 665 </a> , <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_666/> 666 </a> , <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_667/> 667 </a> , <a title="United Nations Security Council resolution 669 was conscious of the increasing number of requests for assistance have been ..."href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_669/> 669 </a> , <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_670/> 670 </a> , <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_674/> 674 </a> and <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_677/> 677 </a> (all 1990), the council noted that despite all the United Nations efforts, <a title="Iraq is home to diverse ethnic groups including Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Arab-Kurds, Assyrians/Chaldeans, Yazidis, Persians, ..."href=../Iraq/> Iraq </a> continued to defy the Security Council.<h2>Details</h2><p>The United Nations Security Council, invoking <a href=../Chapter_VII_of_the_United_Nations_Charter/> Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter </a> , offered Iraq one final chance to implement <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_660/> Resolution 660 (1990) </a> which demanded that Iraq withdraw its forces unconditionally from Kuwait to the positions in which they were located on 1 August 1990, the day before the <a title="The invasion of Kuwait was an operation conducted by Iraq on 2 August 1990, whereby it invaded the neighbouring State of ..."href=../invasion_of_Kuwait/> invasion of Kuwait </a> began.<p>On 29 November 1990, the Security Council passed Resolution 678 which gave Iraq until 15 January 1991 to withdraw from Kuwait and empowered states to use "all necessary means" to force Iraq out of Kuwait after the deadline. The Resolution requested Member States to keep the council informed on their decisions. This was the legal authorization for the <a title="The Gulf War was a war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's ..."href=../Gulf_War/> Gulf War </a> , as Iraq did not withdraw by the deadline. <sup> <a href=#Ref-1> [1] </a> </sup><p>Cuba's position was nuanced as it had voted for or abstained on previous resolutions relating to the Iraqi invasion, but did not support Resolution 678 because of its authorization of "all necessary means." <sup> <a href=#Ref-2> [2] </a> </sup><p>Resolution 678 was adopted by 12 votes with two opposing ( <a title="Cuba is located where the northern Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean meet."href=../Cuba/> Cuba </a> and Yemen) and one <a title="Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote or, in parliamentary ..."href=../abstention/> abstention </a> from the People's Republic of China. The authority granted to Member States in this case contrasts with the disputed <a href=../legality_of_the_Iraq_War/> legality of U.S. actions </a> in the <a title="The 2003 invasion of Iraq was the first stage of the Iraq War."href=../2003_invasion_of_Iraq/> invasion of Iraq </a> of 2003.<h2>Sticks and carrots</h2><p>The United States government strenuously lobbied governments represented on the UN Security Council, including the <a title="The Soviet Union was a socialist state that spanned Europe and Asia during its existence from 1922 to 1991."href=../Soviet_Union/> Soviet Union </a> , China, <a title="Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia."href=../Malaysia/> Malaysia </a> and Yemen, to support a resolution authorizing UN members states to use "all necessary means" for removing Iraqi forces from Kuwait. <sup> <a href=#Ref-3> [3] </a> </sup> China, which had usually <a href=../United_Nations_Security_Council_veto_power/> vetoed </a> such resolutions authorizing action against a state, abstained in exchange for a promise from the US government that sanctions would be eased, <sup> <a href=#Ref-4> [4] </a> </sup> and that the <a href=../Foreign_Minister_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China/> Chinese foreign minister </a> would be received in the <a title="The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States."href=../White_House/> White House </a> . <sup> <a href=#Ref-5> [5] </a> </sup> Various members of the council were rewarded with economic incentives as a result of their 'yes' vote, and those who initially opposed the resolution were discouraged from voting 'no' with the idea of economic penalties, particularly by the United States. <sup> <a href=#Ref-6> [6] </a> </sup> The US successfully obtained a commitment from the Saudi government to provide $1 billion to the Soviets in aid through the winter. <sup> <a href=#Ref-7> [7] </a> </sup><p>After Yemen voted against the resolution, the US, <a title="The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loan s and grant s to the governments of low- and ..."href=../World_Bank/> World Bank </a> and <a title="The International Monetary Fund is an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D."href=../International_Monetary_Fund/> International Monetary Fund </a> halted aid programs to Yemen, and Saudi Arabia expelled Yemeni workers. <sup> <a href=#Ref-8> [8] </a> </sup> Following the US government's fruitless effort to persuade the Yemeni government to support the resolution, US diplomats bluntly informed Yemeni officials "That was the most expensive no vote you ever cast"—referring to ceasing more than $70 million of US government foreign aid to Yemen. <sup> <a href=#Ref-9> [9] </a> </sup><h2>Criticism</h2><p><a title="International law is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between nation s."href=../International_law/> International law </a> experts, such as Professor Burns H. Weston, have argued that the UN security council resolution set a "dubious precedent" by backing away from the "peaceful and humanitarian purposes and principles" enshrined in the <a title="The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the United Nations, an intergovernmental organization."href=../United_Nations_Charter/> United Nations Charter </a> , a cornerstone of international law. It did this by failing to vest in the UN the responsibility and the accountability for the military force that was deployed to the region but instead allowing the United States to manage world policy essentially in a unilateral manner. <sup> <a href=#Ref-10> [10] </a> </sup><h2>See also</h2><ul><li><a title="The Gulf War was a war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's ..."href=../Gulf_War/> Gulf War </a><li><a href=../Iraq%e2%80%93Kuwait_relations/> Iraq–Kuwait relations </a><li><a href=../List_of_United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolutions_601_to_700/> List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 601 to 700 </a> (1987–1991)</ul><h2>External links</h2><ul><li><ul><li><a href=https://undocs.org/S/RES/678(1990) rel=nofollow> Text of the Resolution at undocs.org </a></ul></ul><h2>Notes and References</h2><ol><li><a name=Ref-1> </a> Book: Murphy, Sean D.. Humanitarian intervention: the United Nations in an evolving world order. University of Pennsylvania Press. 1996. 185. 978-0-8122-3382-7.<li><a name=Ref-2> </a> Book: Domínguez, Jorge I. . Cuban Studies 26, Volume 26. University of Pittsburgh Press. 1996. 104. 978-0-8229-3954-2.<li><a name=Ref-3> </a> [Global Policy Forum]<li><a name=Ref-4> </a> Book: Benewick, Robert. Wingrove, Paul . China in the 1990s. UBC Press. 1999. 2. 240. 978-0-7748-0671-8.<li><a name=Ref-5> </a> [New York Times]<li><a name=Ref-6> </a> Book: Simons, Geoffrey Leslie. The scourging of Iraq: sanctions, law, and natural justice. Palgrave Macmillan. 1998. 2. 197–198. 978-0-312-21519-4.<li><a name=Ref-7> </a> [New York Times]<li><a name=Ref-8> </a> Book: Simons, Geoff. Iraq: From Sumer to Saddam. Palgrave Macmillan. 1996. 2. 358. 978-0-312-16052-4.<li><a name=Ref-9> </a> [New York Times]<li><a name=Ref-10> </a> Weston, B. (1991), " <a href=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-journal-of-international-law/article/security-council-resolution-678-and-persian-gulf-decision-making-precarious-legitimacy/5EF2D78751C49B0A74E65C91CBDC6B30 rel=nofollow> Security Council Resolution 678 and Persian Gulf Decision Making: Precarious Legitimacy </a> ," <a href=../American_Journal_of_International_Law/> American Journal of International Law </a> , 85(3), 516–535. doi:10.2307/2203110</ol><div class=Footer><div class=robots-noindex><p>This article is licensed under the <a href=http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html rel=nofollow> GNU Free Documentation License </a> . 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