The UN does have teeth

Well, doesn't that prove me wrong the United Nations has shown its teeth in Ivory Coast.  Just when I was beginning to wonder whether the UN was any use they step up to the base and actually take action.  True, the French played an important part; no doubt in view of the economic interests; and true, Russia says they are going to look into the legality of the action, but at least they acted.  As I've said before, they've stood by so many times that I was beginning to wonder what it would take to make them act.  There are those who will say this action endangers UN employees who will now be seen as legitimate targets, but surely the recent attacks in Afghanistan show that they are already.  The diference now is that before they were seen as a soft target, today would be attackers might think twice as the UN could bite back.  Anyone who doubts the futility of the UN's neutral position should read the excellent Shake Hands with the Devil : The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda- Romeo Dallaire's book about his UN mission in Rwanda.  He, with all his military experience, felt that a stronger force with the permission to fight back could have prevented the genocide.
Let us hope that the UN action in Ivory Coast is the beginning of a new era where the UN is not viewed as a weak and indecisive organisation that can be ignored.