John Bryce
13th March 2003, 03:54 PM
I agree completely with this. I just wish the Canadian public, and the Canadian government would pay attention to what MacKenzie is saying.
Most Canadians may well believe peacekeeping is this country's natural forte.
But anyone trying to determine whether Canada should be involved in fighting in Iraq or peacekeeping in Afghanistan, or both, should consider the devastating critique of United Nations peacekeeping and decision-making delivered by retired Major-General Lewis MacKenzie at a recent defence conference.
Gen. MacKenzie also challenges the widely held belief that peacekeeping is safe and good, while war is bad and dangerous. Done properly, there isn't much difference, he argues, because for peacekeeping to be successful, it has to have the capacity to apply lethal force. The days of missions such as that of separating the Greeks and Turks in Cyprus, where both sides agree to the UN presence, are gone, so future peacekeepers need to have a robust mandate and a robust capacity to apply force.
Full Version: MacKenzie's critique has a ring of truth (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030310.wwinsor1003/BNStory/International)
Most Canadians may well believe peacekeeping is this country's natural forte.
But anyone trying to determine whether Canada should be involved in fighting in Iraq or peacekeeping in Afghanistan, or both, should consider the devastating critique of United Nations peacekeeping and decision-making delivered by retired Major-General Lewis MacKenzie at a recent defence conference.
Gen. MacKenzie also challenges the widely held belief that peacekeeping is safe and good, while war is bad and dangerous. Done properly, there isn't much difference, he argues, because for peacekeeping to be successful, it has to have the capacity to apply lethal force. The days of missions such as that of separating the Greeks and Turks in Cyprus, where both sides agree to the UN presence, are gone, so future peacekeepers need to have a robust mandate and a robust capacity to apply force.
Full Version: MacKenzie's critique has a ring of truth (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030310.wwinsor1003/BNStory/International)