The Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Security Council were established after World War Two to maintain peace and protect people in conflict zones. But a 21st-century U.N. doctrine called Responsibility To Protect (R2P), set up by the world body's member states to prevent mass killings, has only had limited success. Conflict situations since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 have shown the West to be incapable of coming up with sound intervention strategies that protect civilians, Ashdown said. "Syria is a case that's begging for 'responsibility to protect' and no one is showing any responsibility whatever," said Ignatieff. In March 2011, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution endorsing military action to protect civilians against Gaddafi's forces.

Source: Egypt Independent October 25, 2016 09:11 UTC